"I'm encouraged that we could have a decision as early as next month," said Senator Collins, "and certainly no later than August 19th. This is a significant improvement over the normal 120 to 150 days it usually takes to come to a decision."
At Senator Collins's request, the Department of Defense accelerated its bid process, which otherwise would have been expected to yield an award no earlier than October of this year.
If there is a clear winning bid, then officials expect to be able to make an announcement by July 19, 2002. If further negotiations and discussions with bidding companies are deemed necessary, then a decision is expected by August 19, 2002.
Hathaway has submitted bids to the Pentagon's Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP) to manufacture shirts for the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy. The contract for the Air Force would be for 386,000 shirts in the first year and 250,000 shirts each year thereafter for four years. The Navy contract would cover 26,000 shirts per year over three years.
"When Hathaway's parent company, Windsong Alliance Group, announced on March 18th that after 150 years in Waterville, the plant would be closing due to the end of several large contracts, I immediately contacted the Defense Supply Center to set this accelerated process in motion," the Senator said. "I wanted Hathaway to have the opportunity to compete, while still maintaining a fair and equitable competition among the bidders. "I'm hopeful now that DSCP's efforts to expedite the processes coupled with a competitive bid from Hathaway will result in good news for the company's workers this summer."