Two towing companies win police business in Fitchburg
The Police Department will award the city�s towing contract to high bidders Quality Towing and Recovery and Aldrich Auto Body and Repairing pending inspections of equipment and site evaluations at the businesses.
Four bids were opened at the police station yesterday.
Though Mary T. Jean�s company, American Auto Body, was not one of the successful bidders, she said she was pleased with the process.
�I think this was a fair process this time,� she said. �I hope the evaluation is fair.�
American Auto was one of the tow companies in the Fitchburg Towing Association, a loose coalition of tow truck operators that served the city for nearly four decades. The companies said the mayor and police chief decided to stop using the coalition�s towers last year and award the contract instead to CarStar Collision Centers without discussing it with them. The move was controversial and highly criticized.
The Fitchburg Towing Association also alleged the city tailored the contract for CarStar, making it impossible for smaller companies in the coalition to meet requirements. CarStar is a national chain with a franchise in Fitchburg.
However, Mayor Lisa A. Wong and Chief Robert A. DeMoura said the decision was made to improve standards and safety for city towing. She said the change allowed Fitchburg to adopt written standards.
Aldrich Auto is in Fitchburg. The owner of Quality Towing of Leominster said the company plans to open an additional shop in Fitchburg as is required in the contract.