By Josh Bergeron

josh.bergeron@salisburypost.com

The Rowan County Jail on Friday moved one step closer to providing inmates with privately contracted meals, when county government opened bids for food services from four different companies.

The search for a private company to provide meals began in March after a kitchen supervisor resigned. Sheriff Kevin Auten said a contract for food services with a private company would also save the county money. The final cost of a contract will largely depend on how many inmates the jail houses per year.

County Manager Aaron Church in March approved a $25,000 contract with Florida-based Trinity Services Group as a stopgap measure.The Rowan County Board of Commissioners later approved an extension until a final contract was approved.

Companies submitted proposals, opened Friday, based on calorie counts and varying amounts of prisoners. All bids showed that the cost per meal would be lower with a larger number of inmates in the Rowan County Jail.

The four companies who submitted bids were: Aramark Correctional Services, headquartered in Philadelphia; CBM Managed Services, headquartered in Sioux Falls, S.D.; Trinity Services, based near Tampa, Fla.; and ABL Management, based in Baton Rouge, La. Aramark was the only company that provided cost-per-meal amounts for different calorie counts per day. Other companies provided a single pricing model. All four companies submitted bids with an increasing cost-per-meal amount in future years.

Only one company exceeded $2 per meal with the future year increases.

Aramark’s 2,500-calorie pricing model started at 98.7 cents, which was for 340 prisoners and higher. Aramark’s lowest price was also the least of any other company’s bid. The highest price-per-meal amount in Aramark’s 2,500-calorie bid was $1.34 per meal in fiscal year 2018. The company’s 3,000-calorie per-meal pricing model, its most expensive, started at $1.32 per meal and ended at $1.96 per meal.

Of the three companies that submitted a single pricing model, ABL Management was lowest overall. ABL’s pricing started at $1.07 per meal — for 340 inmates and greater in fiscal year 2016 — and ended at $1.43 per meal — for 179 inmates and below in fiscal year 2018.

Auten said the jail usually averages fewer than 300 inmates.

Trinity Services, which is currently under a temporary contract to provide food services at the jail, was third among the four companies in pricing. CBM Managed Services had the highest cost per meal.

The bids will next be given to Rowan County Commissioners for final approval. County Purchasing Agent David Sifford said he would consider other factors besides price when making his recommendation to commissioners. Other factors, which were listed in a request for bids, include: experience, references and financial stability.

Sifford said the current employees of the jail’s kitchen would likely be offered an opportunity to apply for a job with whatever company commissioners select.

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246.