ORLANDO, Fla. — We should know in a few days whether Orange County plans to give a garbage contract worth tens of millions of dollars to FCC Infrastructure, a company that's never hauled garbage in the United States.
On Tuesday, representatives from two local, competing companies expressed concerns over the possibility the contract could go to FCC.
A representative from Waste Pro said his company would need 10 trucks to do the work FCC promised to do with one, while a representative from Florida Republic said FCC would leave garbage and yard waste behind, creating messes and creating a mess for county commissioners to clean up.
Robert Stovash, an attorney with Waste Pro, said there is a reason FCC is in the running for the contract.
"They were the lowest bidder on every single zone because they didn't know how to bid the project," Stovash said.
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That led to trash talk inside a county board room Tuesday.
"Their opinion of what it may take to perform the services may vary from ours, they're not here to promote us. We've had experts do this on a global level," Clint Mikulencak, with FCC said.
Channel 9 has reported on the Spain-based company FCC. Despite their not having equipment and no residential garbage experience in the U.S., the county has recommended that they control two zones for residential garbage pickup. The contract is worth nearly $50 million over 10 years.
"It'll never happen. They simply do not have enough equipment to pick up the solid waste," Tim Dolan with Waste Pro said.
But FCC representatives touted their "global experience" in waste management and promised brand new equipment for the job in Orange County. They said they will pick up trash bins on time.
"There's no way we wouldn't do it on time. We are professionals," Inigo Sanz with FCC said.
Officials with Waste Pro and Florida Republic have filed protest documents against FCC, saying the newcomers simply can't do the job.
"You don't want to be in a position where residents are calling commissioners, 'Why ain't my garbage picked up?' for a couple of bucks," Matthew Morrall an attorney with Florida Republic said,
The procurement director for the county will have a response to Tuesday's protest hearing in a few days.