Tennessee CPO Local Chronicle - May 2026
In this newsletter:
• Message from Laitin Beecham, Director of Category Management
• Employee Spotlight
• Statewide Contract Spotlight
• Statewide Contracts Updates
• What is TN Smartshop?
• Survey for Local Users on a potential new Statewide Contract
• Quick Links
Trivia Question: Which Tennessee city is known as the birthplace of country music?
Message from Laitin Beecham, Director of Category Management - CPO
Message from Laitin Beecham, Director of Category Management – CPO
Welcome to the fourth edition of the Tennessee CPO Local Chronicle! We hope you are looking forward to spring and summer after a long winter.
In this issue, you’ll find updates across several categories, a spotlight on Statewide Contract (SWC) 503: Summer Road Maintenance Materials, an employee profile featuring Amber Lovell, one of our dedicated Services Category Specialists, a spotlight on TN Smartshop, and a request to complete a survey on a potential new SWC focused on recouping indirect costs from grants.
Have a question about a specific statewide contract—or statewide contracts in general? Email us at CPO.SWC@tn.gov. Your question may be featured in an upcoming “Ask CPO” segment!
Please note that all Usage Instructions are available here. If you have specific questions about a contract, contact the contract administrator listed in the usage instructions.
Thank you for your continued partnership. We look forward to supporting your organization’s goals and seeing how SWCs help you succeed throughout 2026!
Laitin W. Beecham
Laitin.Beecham@tn.gov
Director of Category Management
Employee Spotlight – Amber Lovell
How long have you been with the State? One year and nine months.
What’s your favorite hobby? Video gaming (my favorite game is Red Dead Redemption 2) and watching baseball (Go Braves!)
Do you have a favorite spot in Tennessee? I love the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga. I spend at least 6 hours there every time I go.
Education: I am a 2022 graduate of Tennessee Tech. I hold two bachelor's degrees, one in Business Administration and one in Economics.
Work History: I previously worked as a data specialist at a non-profit dedicated to helping formerly incarcerated individuals find gainful employment and return to society. In addition to managing all organizational data, I taught program participants job-readiness skills in a classroom setting, conducted 1-on-1 mock interviews with them, and coached them on how to discuss their criminal conviction(s) in interview settings.
On what contracts are you listed as the Contract Administrator?
SWC 114, Dishwashing Rental
SWC 191, Slope Stabilization Services
SWC 207, Fleet Maintenance
SWC 404, Digital Imaging Services (Confidential, requires NDA)
SWC 419, Mailroom Equipment, Supplies, and Maintenance (Confidential, requires NDA)
SWC 503, Summer Road Maintenance Materials
SWC 504, Winter Road Maintenance Materials
Do you have any advice for locals wishing to utilize SWCs? My advice is to always reach out to the contract administrators for assistance when you need it. There's no such thing as a bad question. We are here to help and are always excited to hear locals are interested in or are using our contracts.
🔦 Statewide Contract Spotlight: SWC 503 - Summer Road Maintenance Materials
After the ice storm this winter, many local governments may need to replace roads or begin other projects. The current weather and temperature make favorable conditions for paving jobs.
📣 SWC Recent Updates: 📣
New Contract Awards :
SWC 238 Office Furniture: The CPO executed an independent dealer agreement with Alfred Williams & Company (#89214) to serve as the dealer for MillerKnoll. Usage instructions and other contract documents are available on the CPO website.
Contract Administrator: Will London
SWC 316 Office Supplies: The CPO executed a second Participating Addendum (PA) with Staples (89401) through the NASPO cooperative to establish a secondary supplier for Office Supplies, effective February 1, 2026. Usage instructions and other contract documents are available on the CPO website.
Contract Administrator: Will London
SWC 700 Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing, Boiler, & Chiller Systems Maintenance & Repair Services: The CPO executed 42 new contracts, which went into effect April 1, 2026.
Contract Administrator: Taylor Dozier
Solicitation Updates:
SWC 208 Gas & Diesel: The CPO completed their ITB. The CPO is currently working on awarding the solicitation and creating and finalizing the contracts. The awarded suppliers are the incumbents Rogers Petroleum (Regions 1 & 2) and Parman Energy Group (Regions 3 &4). New contracts will begin on May 1, 2026.
Contract Administrator: Will London
SWC 533 Sanofi Vaccine (Manufacturer): MMCAP is not renewing or entering into a new contract with Sanofi Vaccines, so the current contract (#77354) will expire on June 30, 2026. The majority of Sanofi vaccines can be procured through SWC 534 from both distributors on that contract, FFF Enterprises (#88478) and Medico-Mart (#88469). If there are particular vaccines not sold through a distributor, individual users will need to review their procurement options to work directly with Sanofi.
Contract Administrator: Celena Milliken
SWC 811 Cellular Services, Devices, and Business Solutions: Negotiations with Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile are complete, and contracts have been signed. The Contracts became effective February 1, 2026. Verizon’s new contract number is (#89378) and T-Mobile’s is (#89376). Negotiations with AT&T Mobility are continuing.
Contract Administrator: Richard Kotler
SWC 227 Facility Protection Services: The CPO posted the solicitation event RFP#32110-22726 on Thursday, February 19, 2026. The Questions and Comments deadline was March 2, 2026, and the CPO’s official State responses are pending COT approval. The response deadline is April 27, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. The current contract ends December 31, 2026.
Contract Administrator: Amber Lovell
SWC 380 Small Package Delivery: NASPO is currently conducting an RFP, in partnership with the lead state, North Carolina, to establish a new contract for Small Package Delivery. Tennessee participated as an evaluator in the RFP and provided feedback as part of the evaluation process. Negotiations are underway and expected to be finalized by the end of May 2026. The current contract (#73558) expires on November 27, 2026.
Contract Administrator: Kelly Bekele
SWC 387 MSP for Contract Labor: The CPO completed an RFI on January 16, 2026, receiving 30 responses. RFP #32110-38726 solicitation documents were submitted to COT for review on April 2, 2026, with the expectation of posting in April 2026. The current contract with uWork.com Inc., dba Covendis Technologies (#73706), expires on February 28, 2027.
Contract Administrator: Kelly Bekele
SWC 820 Emergency Debris Removal Services: The CPO is coordinating RFP #32110-82026 for Emergency Debris Removal Services, which is being reviewed by TEMA, TDOT, and STREAM with the goal of releasing the RFP during the month of May 2026.
Contract Administrator: Seth Lake
SWC 825 Debris Monitoring Services: RFP 32110-82525 was released by the CPO on December 16, 2025. The Response Deadline was on March 4, 2026, and six respondents submitted bids. Evaluations were completed on April 8, 2026, and Negotiations will begin on April 9, 2026, with the State set to release a Notice of Intent to Award on April 14, 2026.
Contract Administrator: Seth Lake
SWC 195 Telematics Hardware, Services, and Accessories: The contract with Samsara, Inc. (#71019) will end on June 30, 2026. The CPO initiated the reprocurement process to ensure continued availability of telematics hardware, services, and accessories for the State. To prevent any lapse in coverage between the expiration of the current contract and the reprocurement of a new one, the CPO requested an amendment to extend the contract for up to one year.
Contract Administrator: Zohreh Hurd
SWC 319 Satellite Comm Hardware: The current contract (#71538) will end on August 31, 2026. The CPO approved the reprocurement business case of this SWC. We have initiated the reprocurement process to ensure that satellite communication hardware, service, and accessories under this contract remain available.
Contract Administrator: Ryan Gaddis
SWC 119 Acadis Software: The current contract (#72893) will end on December 30, 2026. The CPO approved the reprocurement business case of this SWC. We have initiated the reprocurement process to ensure that the software available under this contract remains available.
Contract Administrator: Ryan Gaddis
MOUs and Amendments:
SWC 564 Homeland Security, Public Safety, and Emergency Preparedness: The CPO has executed an amendment, effective February 17, 2026, to incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) provisions into the Participating Addendum (PA), as these provisions were not established prior to the PA being drafted and finalized (#84271). Updated Usage Instructions are available in Edison. This is a confidential contract, if you need further information, please reach out to the contract administrator.
Contract Administrator: Kristine Mitchell
SWC 201 Equipment Rental: The CPO exercised the second renewal option for all contracts. The new expiration date is March 24, 2027. Following the recent acquisition of H&E Equipment Services Inc., contracts #73900 and #81479 transitioned to Herc Rentals Inc.
Contract Administrator: Lauryen Harris
SWC 205 Vehicle Rental: MOU #1 was executed on March 4, 2026, which provided a full list of airport locations subject to airport concession fees.
Contract Administrator: Kelly Bekele
SWC 222 Vehicle Leasing: MOU #4 was executed on March 19, 2026, adding seven additional vehicles to the line item contract to support an initiative for the Department of Children’s Services.
Contract Administrator: Kelly Bekele
SWC 396 Legal Research Services: MOU #1 was executed on April 6, 2026 to add non-generative AI services to West Publishing Corporation (#84951).
Contract Administrator: Taylor Dozier
Renewals and Extensions:
SWC 154 Household Appliances: The CPO is exercising the second and final renewal option with HAIER US Appliance Solutions Inc (#76651) pending Fiscal Review Committee approval at the June 24, 2026 meeting.
Contract Administrator: Kristine Mitchell
SWC 212 IMS Gases: The CPO is exercising the second renewal with Nexair (#75135) at the end of August. Currently, the Contract Administrator is gathering feedback from end users. Please reach out to share any feedback at your earliest opportunity.
Contract Administrator: Celena Milliken
SWC 235 Industrial Supplies: The CPO is exercising the first renewal for the contracts on SWC 235 (#82544, #82572, #82573, #82574, #82575, #83512). They are currently working through the approval process with a new end date of May 31, 2027.
Contract Administrator: Mike Neely
SWC 317 Copy Paper: The CPO is exercising the second and final renewal option with American Paper & Twine (#77326) with a new end date of July 31, 2027.
Contract Administrator: Kristine Mitchell
SWC 530 Pharmaceutical Distribution: The CPO executed an extension to the contract with Morris & Dickson, Co., LLC (#88403). The new end date is July 31, 2027. Please contact the Contract Administrator if your agency needs the newest renewal documentation.
Contract Administrator: Celena Milliken
SWC 531 Birth Control Devices: The contract with B Optima Health (#NV78929) will expire on June 30, 2026. This contract will not be extended at the request of the supplier, so please plan accordingly when placing orders. The CPO is presenting Global Protection (#78931) and Lifestyles (#78933) to FRC on May 13, 2026, for an extension to June 30, 2027.
Contract Administrator: Celena Milliken
SWC 3014 NASPO Computers, Servers, and Storage: This contract renewal has been approved by the FRC. The CPO is working on processing this renewal in Edison, and it will have a new expiration date of June 30, 2027.
Contract Administrators: Zohreh Hurd & Ryan Gaddis
SWC 450 Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR): The current contract (#69792) with Motorola Solutions, Inc. has been extended for an additional 12 months and expires May 16, 2027.
Contract Administrator: Michelle Reyes
SWC 315 (NV72810) Online Security Awareness Training: Current contract will expire on October 24, 2026. The CPO will complete alternative contracting solutions within the next 2 weeks and proceed with establishing the preferred solution for the State and Cengage.
Contract Administrator: Richard Kotler
SWC 429 Federal Stimulus Funding Consulting & Program Administration Services: The CPO executed the final renewal of the contracts with Accenture LLP (#74063), Alverez & Marsal Public Sector Services LLC (#74235), The Boston Consulting Group (#74237), Deloitte & Touche LLP (#74110), Ernst & Young LLP. (#74112), BDO USA, P.C. (#NV74114), & KPMG LLP (#74119). The contracts are now effective through April 12, 2027.
Contract Administrator: Taylor Dozier
Other Updates
SWC 178 Traffic Paint and Glass Beads: Crown USA Inc issued an update in error to all customers on April 1, 2026, warning of a Temporary Transportation Surcharge that would go into effect on all shipments beginning on April 13, 2026. The CPO has confirmed with Crown USA Inc. that there will be no surcharge applied to orders placed through SWC 178. If you experience any issues or have any questions about this, please contact the Contract Administrator.
Contract Administrator: Seth Lake
SWC 3019 Esper Software: The contract with Esper Regulatory Technologies Inc. (#71859) will end on August 31, 2026. The CPO determined not to reprocure this contract. Once this contract expires, to ensure that Esper Software remains available, Esper Software will be available through Carahsoft (#67955) under SWC 3021 NASPO Cloud.
Contract Administrator: Zohreh Hurd
SWC 3054 SAS Software: The contract with SAS Software (#72788) will end on October 28, 2026. The CPO determined not to reprocure this contract. Once this contract expires, to ensure that SAS remains available, SAS Software will be available through Carahsoft (#67955) under SWC 3021 NASPO Cloud.
Contract Administrator: Zohreh Hurd
What is TN SmartShop?
TN SmartShop is an online tool built in Edison that pulls statewide contract pricing from vendor websites. This is very convenient and easy to use!
Who can use TN SmartShop?
Local governments, State employees, institutions of higher education, schools, and eligible non-profits can utilize these contracts.
Eligible non-state employee users can go to the TN SmartShop Dashboard to search for items, goods, and/or services provided under the TN statewide contracts.
State employees can utilize the internal version of each vendor’s SmartShop page in Edison on the requisition page.
What are the benefits of using TN SmartShop?
This online tool saves time, helps you find statewide items more easily, and provides cost-effective purchasing!
Never used SmartShop before? You can find a step-by-step guide on the TN SmartShop page!
Here are the most current available vendors listed on the TN SmartShop page.
• Alabama Industrial
• American Paper & Twine
• Benefast
• Bob Barker
• Dental Health Products
• Fastenal
• Fisher Scientific
• Henry Schein Inc.
• McKesson
• Medical Solutions Inc.
• Medline
• MSC Industrial
• ODP Business Solutions (was Office Depot)
• Patterson Dental
• Safeware
• VWR
• Staples
If you need any assistance using TN SmartShop or have any inquiries, please contact the TN SmartShop team!
615-741-3333, Extension 1 or Email to TN SmartShop
Indirect Cost Statewide Contract Survey
The State of Tennessee Central Procurement Office is seeking feedback from local forms of government and other Authorized Users regarding current practices for recovering indirect costs associated with federal grant funding. Your input will assist the CPO in determining if a Statewide Contract for these services is warranted. The survey should take no longer than five minutes to complete and will close on May 10, 2026. Please reach out to Laitin.Beecham@tn.gov if you have specific questions. Follow the link here in order to complete the survey.
Have a Question? Ask CPO!
Follow the link here in order to ask a question or submit a topic that may be addressed in a future newsletter!
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We want your feedback!
Procurated
The CPO has partnered with Procurated to gather reviews of our Statewide Contractors. Procurated can be accessed via the CPO’s website. Simply click the Write a Statewide Contractor Review button at the top of the page to access the Tennessee CPO Procurated page. Statewide Contract suppliers are sorted alphabetically. If you have questions, please contact the CPO at CPO.SWC@tn.gov.
Trivia Answer: Bristol