Anush Aryal

Reporter

The W is set for a change of faces as Sodexo is making way for GCA Services Group. Sodexo’s contract for facilities management with The W is expiring at the end of this year, and GCA will replace it.

“Sodexo’s facilities management contract with The W facilities management is expiring this December," said Dave Haffley, director of Outsourced Resources. "So we had issued [Request for Proposals] in August calling for companies to bid. A committee of seven to evaluate the RFPs was formed, and they addressed the bids through September and October and decided for GCA Services Group."

GCA will collaborate with The W to oversee all the issues related to construction, heating and air conditioning, plumbing, painting, ventilating and ground management. The company will also be responsible for mechanic and electrical issues at The W.

Staff recruitment is expected to begin in December.

“We wanted to find the best value for our price with all the requirements which we believed to be the must and had received some very good request for proposals," said Angie Atkins, director of Resources Management at The W. "GCA Services Group came up with the one which we felt confident about.”

Atkins led the committee designated with the responsibility of picking among the bidding companies.

“Facilities Management are doing a fine job for the three months I have been here at the W," said Tsering Tashi Gurung, a first-year student at The W. "But the college is opting for a change means something is certainly going to improve when the other company takes over.”

Sodexo has been associated with MUW Facilities Management since 2005 and with MUW Food & Dining since 1998. Sodexo will continue to provide dining services in the university cafeteria.