Trane rep tells Robertson County the Omnia cooperative saved the county nearly $2.5 million

A Trane representative described to the Robertson County Commission how the Omnia purchasing cooperative works and said the county has saved nearly $2,500,000 through the program.

Speaking to the commission, the presenter said Omnia is a “qualified purchasing coop” that is publicly bid by a lead agency and made available to state and local governments; he said Trane was the single-award vendor on the lead bid and that the cooperative’s contracts include open-book audit files and compliance letters. “To date, you’ve saved almost $2,500,000, basically, a $140,000 over guaranteed,” the presenter said.

Commissioners questioned warranty terms and procurement tradeoffs. The Trane representative said typical installation warranties are one year with manufacturer product warranties and that, where possible, he includes extended manufacturer coverage (he cited “five year parts and labor” as an example). He also contrasted cooperative purchasing with traditional plan-and-specification procurement, saying the latter often requires hiring design consultants and can result in widely varying bids.

Commissioners pressed about refrigerant safety and recent price increases tied to Environmental Protection Agency mandates. The presenter acknowledged the newer refrigerants are classified as flammable and said industry retoolings, supply issues and valve-compliance problems have raised equipment prices since 2020. “If one of you called me up and said, ‘I need a three-ton unit,’ I’d say it’s about $3,000 a ton — not anymore,” he said.

The presentation ended with a procedural note: the item will return to the Building & Grounds committee for a vote before returning to the full commission. Planning and procurement staff present said they review the Omnia master services agreement and compliance documentation before recommending award.