Switch to new CE contractor transparent to base

  • Published
  • By Kevin Gilmartin
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HANSCOM AFB, Mass. --  Although a new contractor began providing Civil Engineering Services at Hanscom on Tuesday, the transition should be transparent to customers, according to the base civil engineer.

IAP Worldwide Services, a 50-year old facilities management company that's based in Cape Canaveral, Fla., officially replaced Del-Jen Inc. April 1 after a month-long transition period.

"Almost all the Del-Jen employees who performed work here over the past several years have been hired by IAP, so the only change most people will notice is they are now wearing a different company logo," said Chris Perkins, base civil engineer. "From a customer standpoint, everything stays pretty much the same, including the phone number that you call to get CE services, which remains (781) 377-3383, and the equipment that the employees will use."

Dave Toops, vice president of Operations for IAP, said it was fortunate that his company was able to hire most of the Del Jen employees, because it prevented disruption in their careers and continuity of service and experience to the community.

"These people have a great deal of expertise they developed over a long period of time, and we're happy to be able to keep that right here at Hanscom," he said.

Mark Call, project manager for IAP at Hanscom, said people will soon learn that his company provides "excellent customer service with a can do, good attitude."

While the company has a number of contracts with the Air Force across the country as well as in Iraq and Afghanistan, many Hanscom people may be most familiar with IAP's work at nearby MITRE Corporation, where IAP has been providing facilities management services for 10 years.

"Our focus is on management," said Mr. Toops. "We focus on managing people and managing performance so that we're getting the most bang for the buck for our customer. We want to do right things right the first time."

According to both Mr. Call and Mr. Toops, safety is their number one concern. To make that point to all employees, IAP held an all-hands call first thing Tuesday to stress safety prior to beginning its work on Hanscom.

"We're very familiar with the Voluntary Protection Program, and we have a strong safety program and a good record of our own," said Mr. Toops. "We look forward to partnering with the base on VPP and safety issues."

The performance work statement that IAP is working under has been improved, according to Mr. Perkins.

"This isn't the same old Performance Work Statement, we've jazzed it up a little," he said. "It's structured differently, and not all cost-based, but has some firm, fixed-price aspects to it that takes some of the uncertainty away."

Both IAP managers praised Del-Jen for their transition work in March.

"The transition went fairly smoothly," said Mr. Toops. "Working cooperatively, both companies had the best interests of the government in mind."

Col. Tom Schluckebier, 66th Air Base Wing commander, said IAP will be an important part of the Hanscom community.

"Everyone who sets foot on Hanscom will rely on IAP in one way or another, whether it is for heating and cooling of their workplace, or for plowing the roads and parking lots during a snowstorm. We will all count on them to get the job done right." he said.