Background:
Marin Sanitary Service, founded more than 50 years ago, is a leader in the Solid Waste industry. They service more than 33,000 residential and commercial customers, about one-third of Marin's population.

Challenge:
Early in 2003, Marin Sanitary Service bid on the San Anselmo and Ross Valley Sanitary District's contracts, a prolonged process complicated by legal and political issues and frequently changing parameters. They turned to Armanino McKenna to assist them in calculating the costs and staffing required for servicing the new areas. "It was a very prolonged process," said Steve Rosa, vice president of operations. "We had a really excellent team, but it was a legal, emotional and financial battle."

Solution:
The AMLLP team created a computer model of information needed to fulfill the requirements of the Request for Proposal, including hard assets and number of employees needed to service the new areas. The team analyzed the risks inherent in the RFP, and the proposed contract, to determine how to handle specific potentially troublesome issues.

Result :
Marin Sanitary Service was awarded the contract after successfully addressing the issues that could have caused problems later had they not been resolved.

"During the extended RFP, AMLLP's advice was invaluable," said Patty Garbarino, president. "Their professional expertise was coupled with scrupulousness, innovation and a set of business ethics that anyone would want to emulate."