I am a little confused why the university is not purchasing from local businesses. I own a local business and have received several requests for bids, but we have never gotten on, and I know other businesses also do not win bids form the university.  I thought it was required for goverment entities to give the bid to local businesses first before going out of state.  I went to school at USU, and it frusterates me that they wil not help their graduates and would rather accept bids from places out of state, especailly when we can provide the same services for equal or cheeper prices than out of state competetors.

I agree with you! Sounds like something that should be taken before the Utah Legislature. They claim they support the local community. What they should include in that claim is that only if it serves them.

Do you have any hard examples of where you bid on something and an external company's bid was more expensive but was still chosen? Where there other factors such as time to produce? Quality of product? Was there any justification given as to why the other company was chosen?

I have many! Where would you like me to begin? Just ask many local businesses in Logan. I have a friend who was run out of business because they not only didn't do business with him, they also setup shop and did business against him. You tell me how a public funded school who should be teaching people things can setup shop and go against the private sector. They should be required by law to purchase within Logan unless they can't find the product or service they need locally. The same goes for Logan City as well. They have their great, so called water park. We will never get a real water park like 7 Peaks in Provo. Why would a private Company ever want to invest in an area where public institutions compete with the private sector nor use them for their services and products?

Give me a complete example of how you had a bid where you could do it cheaper and it the time required with the required quality and the university went with an out of state bid.

Why should the univ be forced to purchase locally if it is higher priced, lower quality, or does not fit other constraints they have on the project? Why shouldn't they do it internally if they can do it much cheaper? But I'm a Utah State graduate and they should support me?