Plymouth Board of Public Works & Safety approves Keystone Fuel contract for Street Department

Monday, December 29, 2025 at 2:00 AM

By Kathy Bottorff

The Plymouth Board of Public Works and Safety approved a fuel contract with Keystone Cooperative for the Street Department last Monday, selecting reliability and single-source supply over a lower-priced bid.

The decision came two weeks after the board received two competing bids and took them under advisement for review by Street Superintendent Jim Marquardt.

Two companies submitted proposals:

Al Warren Oil Company from Bensenville, IL gave a price for gasoline at $1.9075 per gallon and diesel at $2.3450 per gallon. The price is based on the amount ordered plus applicable taxes.

Keystone Cooperative provided a bid for gasoline at $2.0960 per gallon and diesel fuel at $2.3851 per gallon.

Despite Keystone's slightly higher pricing, Street Superintendent Jim Marquardt recommended the company based on several operational advantages. Keystone can provide fuel from a single source, while Al Warren would need to use three different suppliers. This reduces supply chain risk if problems arise. He said Keystone offered stronger guarantees on delivery times, an important consideration for city operations.

Marquardt noted that Al Warren's bid did not include tax charges, making the true cost comparison unclear.

The board accepted Marquardt's recommendation and approved the Keystone Cooperative contract.

The Street Department regularly bids out fuel contracts to ensure competitive pricing while maintaining reliable service. The contracts cover fuel needs for street maintenance vehicles, snowplows, and other city street operations equipment.