Shreveport Picks Group With No Equipment For $9+ Million Contract

Get our free mobile app

According to a report from KTBS, the City of Shreveport has picked a company to take over the city's recycling. The proposal for this new company will be in front of the Shreveport City Council at their next meeting, today.

The company is called C. Edwards Concepts, and they have been selected to restart curbside recycling service in Shreveport. The contract is a five-year deal is reportedly worth $1.9 million a year, or $9.5 million at the end of the contract. But getting the service restarted won't happen anytime soon, even if the contract is awarded to the company as fast as possible. Shreveport City Councilman James Flurry told KTBS:

"We're going to have to be prepared to be patient for her to get up. It make take her 90 days to get up full with her equipment. She's got to get her people trained, and get CDL drivers. They're very hard to get right now."

This quote might seem odd to some. How could the city be giving a contract worth almost $2 million a year for a service they are unable to perform? Well, KTBS looked into the company a little more.

There was some follow-up conducted by KTBS, who uncovered that C. Edwards Concepts only lists a 2013 Lexus SUV as a transport vehicle on their application with the state. They also discovered that the listed phone number for the company was also not working. Eventually KTBS went to the listed address for the company, where they found owner Charlette Edwards, who refused to speak on camera until after the city awarded her the contract.

KTBS also reported that Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins administration also declined to comment on this, with a spokesperson telling the TV station that they would also be waiting until after the City Council votes.

Councilman Flurry was part of a small committee who were tasked with finding a new recycling company. That 4 person committee unanimously selected C. Edwards Concepts as their choice.