HomeMy WebLinkAboutRivers Landscaping - Contractors, All Trades and Services, Parks and Recreation Department – Due August 27, 2026, 3_00 PM MTFrom:Riley Rivers
To:Bozeman Procurement
Subject:[EXTERNAL]RFQ – Contractors, All Trades and Services, Parks and Recreation Department – Rivers Landscaping
LLC – Due August 27, 2026, 3:00 PM MT
Date:Thursday, August 27, 2026 11:34:52 AM
Attachments:Rivers_Landscaping_SOQ.pdf
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Mr. Maas,
Attached please find the Statement of Qualifications from Rivers Landscaping LLC inresponse to the City of Bozeman's July 2026 Request for Qualifications — Contractors, All
Trades and Services, Parks and Recreation Department.
We are seeking qualification in two categories: 1. Landscape Construction, Earthwork & Irrigation
2. Park & Grounds Maintenance
The submission is a single searchable PDF, signed by an officer of the firm, and includes theexecuted Appendix A Non-Discrimination and Equal Pay Affirmation. Scored content is 17
pages, within the 20-page limit. Please confirm receipt at your convenience. If anything is missing or does not open correctly,
call me directly at 406-560-5334 and I will resend immediately. Thank you for yourconsideration.
Montana Contractor Reg. #233142 --
Riley Rivers
President
Proud SWMIBA Member- Ask me how to join today
riverslandscapingmt.com
Office: 406-570-6627
Cell: 406-560-5334
SYSTEMS · MANPOWER · PROJECT MANAGEMENT
RIVERS LANDSCAPING LLC
26 RAE LANE · BELGRADE, MT 59714
406-570-6627 · RIVERSLANDSCAPINGMT.COM
MONTANA CONTRACTOR REG. #233142
STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS
CONTRACTORS — ALL TRADES
& SERVICES
CITY OF BOZEMAN ·PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS · JULY 2026 · DUE AUGUST 27, 2026 · 3:00 PM MT
SUBMITTED BY
Rivers Landscaping LLC
Riley Rivers, President
riley@riverslandscapingmt.com
406-570-6627
SUBMITTED TO
City of Bozeman
Mike Maas, City Clerk
procurement@bozemanmt.gov
PO Box 1230, Bozeman,MT59771
QUALIFYING FOR
Two Service Categories
Landscape Construction,
Earthwork
& Irrigation
Park & Grounds Maintenance
2018
ESTABLISHED
10
CREWS · 6 BUILD / 4
MAINT.
$7M
ANNUAL VOLUME
0.80
EMR SAFETY RATING
8 mi
FROM BOZEMAN CITY
HALL
Rivers Landscaping LLC is a Belgrade-based landscape construction and maintenance contractor. We self-
perform earthwork, hardscape,planting and irrigation with our own crews and owned equipment,and we run a
dedicated maintenance division that already cares for parks in this valley — including grounds scheduled to
transfer into City ownership.
RIVERS LANDSCAPING HEADQUARTERS, FLEET & CREW — BELGRADE, MONTANARIVERS LANDSCAPING HEADQUARTERS, FLEET & CREW — BELGRADE, MONTANA
RIVERS LANDSCAPING SYSTEMS · MANPOWER · PROJECT MANAGEMENT
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL RIVERS LANDSCAPING · STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS
AUGUST 27, 2026
Mike Maas, City Clerk
City of Bozeman
PO Box 1230, Bozeman, MT 59771-1230
procurement@bozemanmt.gov
RE: Request for Qualifications — Contractors, All Trades and Services, Parks and Recreation Department
Mr. Maas,
Rivers Landscaping LLC respectfully submits the enclosed Statement of Qualifications in response to the
City's July 2026 Request for Qualifications for the Parks and Recreation Department. We are seeking
qualification in two categories: landscape construction, earthwork and irrigation, and park and grounds
maintenance.
We are a Belgrade-based landscape contractor, established in 2018, operating six construction crews and
four maintenance crews out of our own yard eight miles from Bozeman City Hall. We self-perform grading
and earthwork, hardscape, planting, and irrigation, and we run a dedicated maintenance division under a
full-time account manager. Last year we did $7 million in work.
Two things about this solicitation fit us unusually well. First, the City's projects are capped at $79,999 and
arrive on an as-needed basis — that is a task-order rhythm, and a contractor's ability to serve it comes down
to crew depth and scheduling slack, not size. With ten crews and three project managers, we can absorb a
park repair or a planting package without pulling a crew off a committed job. Second, we have already
carried a park all the way to City dedication. Rivers maintained the park at Nexus / 19th & Graf until it
transferred into City of Bozeman ownership in 2025. We are now three seasons into maintaining the parks
and HOA common areas at Blackwood Groves — grounds slated to transfer to the City next. Qualifying us
now means that when they do, the City can keep the crew that already knows every zone and controller on
that site instead of starting a new contractor at zero.
Regarding the City's Generative AI disclosure requirement: Rivers Landscaping uses AI tools only for
internal office and computer-based administrative tasks. No AI is used in the performance or delivery of
the contracted services themselves. All field work, horticultural judgment, quality control, and professional
decision-making is performed by our own employees.
We have read the RFQ in full, including Appendix B, and we agree to the City's non-discrimination and equal
pay affirmation, which is executed and attached as Appendix A. We can provide certificates of insurance
meeting the requirements of the City's Professional Services Agreement prior to contract signature.
We would welcome an interview. Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully submitted,
RILEY RIVERS · PRESIDENT, RIVERS LANDSCAPING LLC
riley@riverslandscapingmt.com · 406-570-6627 · Authorized to bind the firm
RIVERS LANDSCAPING SYSTEMS · MANPOWER · PROJECT MANAGEMENT
F IR M SNA P SHOT STATEMEN T OF QUAL IFICATIO NS · PAGE 1
C O M PA N Y AT A GLA N CE
RIVERS LANDSCAPING LLC
A Belgrade-based landscape construction and maintenance contractor, eight miles from Bozeman
City Hall. Established 2018. We self-perform earthwork, hardscape, planting and irrigation with our
own crews and our own equipment, and we carry a separate maintenance division that cares for the
grounds after they are built.
2018
ESTABLISHED
Eight years in the Gallatin
Valley
38
TEAM MEMBERS
All W-2, plus dedicated
office staff
10
DEDICATED CREWS
6 construction · 4
maintenance
3
PROJECT MANAGERS
Plus a maintenance account
manager
$7M
ANNUAL VOLUME
Most recent completed year
$2M
BONDING CAPACITY
Team capacity at a 2.5% rate
0.80
EMR SAFETY RATING
Below the 1.00 industry
baseline
In-House
TOPSOIL SCREENING
Own screening plant & soil
supply
CATEGORY 1 — CONSTRUCTION,
EARTHWORK & IRRIGATION
CATEGORY 2 — PARK & GROUNDS
MAINTENANCE
WHY THIS SOLICITAT ION FI TS US
The City's task orders are capped at $79,999 and arrive as needed. Serving that well is a question of crew
depth and scheduling slack, not company size. Ten crews, three project managers and a dedicated account
manager mean we can take a park repair, a planting package, or a season of grounds care without pulling a
crew off a committed job — and we can start when the City needs us to start.
Grading, earthwork and dirt moving — owned fleet
Site prep, finish grade, drainage correction
Retaining walls & structural hardscape
Patios, flatwork, flagstone, boulder work
Turf, planting, trees & shrubs, native seeding
Irrigation installation, repair & controller work
Streetscapes, trails & outdoor amenities
Topsoil supply from our own screening plant
Full-season park and grounds maintenance
Turf care — mowing, fertility, aeration, overseeding
Bed maintenance, pruning, mulch renewal
Weed management & noxious weed control
Irrigation startup, audits, repair, winterization
Spring cleanup & fall cleanup
Site appearance standards & scheduled reporting
Snow & ice removal and control
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RIVERS LANDSCAPIN G BELGRADE , MT · RE G. #2331 42
F IR M B A CKGR O UND & S TA B IL ITY EVALUATION CRITERIO N 2 · FIR M'S QUALIFICATI ONS · 20 POINTS
WHO WE A RE
EIGHT YEARS BUILDING & MAINTAINING
THE GALLATIN VALLEY
FIRM HISTORY
Rivers Landscaping was founded in Belgrade in 2018
and has grown every year since — from a small
install crew to a 38-person company running ten
crews across two divisions. That growth came from
repeat work: contractors, developers and owners
who hired us once and kept hiring us.
Landscape work fails on coordination, not craft. So
we built the office first: in-house estimating, project
managers who own schedule and procurement, and
a maintenance division built to receive the sites our
crews construct.
LOCATION & FOOTPRINT
Headquarters, yard, shop and topsoil screening
plant at 26 Rae Lane, Belgrade — roughly 8 miles
and 15 minutes from Bozeman City Hall. Our
service area is Belgrade, Bozeman, Big Sky and the
greater Gallatin Valley.
Every crew, machine and yard of screened topsoil
stages from that one location. For a City department
calling on short notice, that proximity is the
difference between same-day and next-week.
STABILITY IN THE MARKETPLACE
Eight consecutive years of growth. No litigation, no
terminated contracts, no liquidated damages ever
assessed. Our crew leaders return season over
season, which is why field quality held as we scaled.
FINANCIAL & BUSINESS CAPACITY
ANNUAL VOLUME OF
BUSINESS
$7M
BONDING CAPACITY $2,000,000
BOND RATE 2.5%
TYPICAL PROJECT RANGE $50K – $1M+
CONTRACTOR REGISTRATION #233142
EMR SAFETY RATING 0.80
Bonding capacity reflected above is the combined capacity
of the Rivers Landscaping / Stay Green Sprinklers team at a
2.5% rate. Financial statements and a surety letter are
available to the City on request.
STRENGTHS — WE ARE THE GC OF THE
LANDSCAPE SCOPE
We self-perform the landscape and coordinate every
sub the job needs around it — plumbing, electrical,
concrete, specialty trades — on one schedule, under
one contract, reporting to one point of contact.
SELF-P ERFORMED CREW AND OWNED EQUIPMENT — STONE TERRACE INSTALLATION
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RIVERS LANDSCAPIN G BELGRADE , MT · RE G. #2331 42
C A PAB I L I T IES & O PER ATI O N S EVALUATION CRITERIO N 2 · FIR M'S QUALIFICATI ONS · 20 POINTS
WHAT SETS US UP TO S E RV E T H E C I T Y
SPECIAL CAPABILITIES
Several of these are unusual for a landscape contractor our size, and each shortens a City schedule or
lowers a City cost.
SPECIAL CAPABILITIES WHY IT MATTERS ON CI TY WORK
FEWER HANDOFFS, SHORTER
SCHEDULES
Owning the soil, the equipment and the crews
removes the three things that most often stall a
landscape scope: waiting on a supplier, waiting
on a rental, and waiting on a subcontractor's
calendar.
On a City park under a $79,999 task order, those
delays are the whole schedule. Removing them is
why we can quote a start date and hold it.
WHERE WE ARE CANDID
We do not hold every license and do not pretend to.
Where a scope needs a trade outside our lane but
landscape is why we are there, we sub it out and
carry it — the City gets the whole job under one
contract, not a gap to fill.
TWO DIVISIONS, ONE COMPANY
Construction builds it; maintenance keeps it.
Because both live under one roof, the City can hand
us a park improvement and the ongoing care of that
park without running two procurements — and the
crew that maintains it already knows how it was
built.
DEDICATED ESTIMATING
A standing estimating
department — not a project
manager pricing at night.
Accurate takeoffs, itemized task-
order pricing against
prenegotiated rates, and value
engineering when a City budget
will not cover the scope as
drawn.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Scheduling, procurement,
submittals, documentation,
quality control and field
coordination, owned by a named
manager on every job. Written
communication so nothing lives
only in a phone call.
FIELD LEADERSHIP
Ten crews, each under an
experienced crew leader, all W-2
employees in Rivers uniforms
and Rivers trucks. On public
grounds, park users read that
crew as the City's crew — so how
they present matters.
Our own topsoil screening plant. We screen and
supply our own soil — lower material cost and no haul-
in delay on City sites.
Construction and maintenance under one roof. We
can build a park improvement and then maintain it, or
maintain grounds we did not build.
Owned equipment fleet. Skid steers, excavators,
telehandler, dump trucks — no rental waiting.
In-house estimating department. Fast, itemized
pricing on task orders; value engineering when a
budget is tight.
Long-standing irrigation partner. Stay Green
Sprinklers, on our projects for years.
Trade partners where we do not fit. Plumbing,
electrical and other licensed trades are handled by
established partners we subcontract routinely — the
City gets one point of contact and a scope that closes,
not a gap to fill.
Civic involvement. Riley Rivers worked with City staff
on Bozeman's WELO and is President of SWMBIA.
3
RIVERS LANDSCAPIN G BELGRADE , MT · RE G. #2331 42
C O N S T RU CT I O N & EA RTHWOR K CATEGO RY 1 · LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION, EARTHWORK & IRRIGATION
C O RE C APAB I L ITY
LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION —
SELF-PERFORMED, ANY SCALE
Six construction crews, an owned equipment fleet, and our own screened topsoil. We take a City park
from finish grade through the last plant set — self-performing the landscape scope end to end.
LARGE-SCALE LANDSCAPE & MASS
PLANTING
We are landscape contractors, not a civil sub. Our
work starts where the sitework ends — we are the
finishing trade, built to deliver it at volume:
landscape and fine grading to plan, soil prep and
amended profiles, and mass planting — hundreds of
trees and shrubs, acres of turf, native seeding, full
bed systems on a schedule.
Because we screen and stockpile our own topsoil,
we never wait on a supplier or pay haul premiums
when a City site needs 200 yards on Thursday. On
large sites we screen on-site, cutting cost and truck
traffic through the park.
Big and small, the same crews. Full campus
landscapes at Gianforte Hall and MSU Bobcat
Stadium, streetscape and planting at Barnard
Construction's HQ, complete landscapes across
nine multi-family developments — and we turn out
to fix a single failed bed just as readily. A $79,999 cap
is not a small job to us; it is the size of work we run
every week.
PLANTING & TURF — AT VOLUME
HARDSCAPE & SITE AMENITY
Warranty. One year on construction, installation
and planting where an approved automatic
irrigation system is in place and our watering
guide is followed — extendable to three years
where Rivers holds the maintenance contract.
Mass tree and shrub installation, staking,
establishment
Sod and seeded turf, native seeding
Amended soil profiles from our own screened stock
Mulch, rock and decorative surfacing
Segmental and structural retaining walls
Flagstone, boulder and natural stone work
Paver patios, plazas and walks
Streetscape pavers and site flatwork
Steel edging, headers and site details
GRADING & SITE WORK — MSU BOBCAT STADIUM, KNIFE
RIVER
CRANE-SET MONOLITHIC STONE — MSU AMERICAN INDIAN
HALL OUTDOOR CAMPUS
4
RIVERS LANDSCAPIN G BELGRADE , MT · RE G. #2331 42
MA INTENA N CE DI V ISI O N C ATEGORY 2 · PA RK & GROUNDS MAINTENA NCE
C O RE C APAB I L ITY
WE ALREADY MAINTAIN PARKS
IN THIS VALLEY
Four dedicated maintenance crews, a full-time account manager with a plant and soil science degree,
and a book of park and common-area grounds we carry through every Montana season. Not a
construction company adding a mower to the trailer — a separate division with its own leadership,
crews and standards.
THE MOST RE L E VANT FACT I N THIS SUBMISS ION
WE MAINTAIN THE PARKS THE CITY IS ABOUT TO OWN
Rivers maintained the park at Nexus / 19th & Graf until it transferred into City of Bozeman ownership in
2025 — we have already cared for park grounds right up to the moment the City took them over, to the
standard park users expect.
Today we are three seasons into maintaining the three parks at Blackwood Groves (~3 acres) and the HOA
common areas — and those parks are slated to transfer to the City next. That is the case for qualifying us
now. When the dedication happens, the City can keep a crew that already knows every zone, every
controller, every problem corner and every irrigation main on that site — no ramp-up, no first-season
learning curve, no gap in care.
WHAT OUR MAINTENANCE CREWS DO HOW THE DIVISION IS RUN
A dedicated account manager, not a dispatcher.
David Castro owns the maintenance relationship
end to end — site walks, scope, scheduling, quality
control, and the call when something needs
attention. One name, one number.
Scheduled, documented service. Crews run routes
on a published schedule. Visits are logged. Site
condition issues get reported to the owner rather
than discovered by the owner.
Irrigation in-house and with Stay Green. Most park
maintenance failures are irrigation failures. We
audit zones rather than waiting for brown spots.
Turf care — mowing on schedule, fertility programs,
aeration, overseeding, broadleaf and grassy weed
control
Bed & ornamental care — pruning, deadheading,
mulch renewal, seasonal color
Weed management — including noxious weed
programs
Irrigation maintenance — spring startup, zone-by-
zone audits, head and valve repair, controller
programming, fall blowout and winterization
Seasonal cleanups — spring debris and bed prep, fall
leaf and cutback
Snow & ice removal and control for walks, lots and
access
RIVERS MAINTENANCE CREW & EQUIPMENT — BLACKWOOD GROVES, BOZEMAN · THREE PARKS SLATED FOR CITY
TURNOVER
5
RIVERS LANDSCAPIN G BELGRADE , MT · RE G. #2331 42
IR RI GATION INSTALL ATI ON · REPAIR · M AINTENANCE · WATER MANAGEMENT
C O RE C APAB I L ITY
IRRIGATION — BUILT, REPAIRED
& MANAGED
Irrigation is where park landscapes live or die, and it is the scope most contractors treat as an
afterthought. We treat it as a discipline — in-house on install and service, and backed by a long-
standing partnership with Stay Green Irrigation on system-scale work.
INSTALLATION
SERVICE & MAINTENANCE
WATER MANAGEMENT ON PUBLIC GROUNDS
Bozeman parks operate under real water
constraints. We program to plant need and soil type
rather than a default schedule, audit for coverage
instead of chasing brown spots, and adjust when the
City adjusts restrictions. Water saved on a park is
budget saved.
BACKFLOW & LICENSED TRADES
Point of connection and backflow go to a licensed
plumber, electrical to a licensed electrician. Where a
scope needs a trade we do not hold, we bring in an
established partner we subcontract routinely — so
the City's scope closes clean.
TRU STED T RA DE PA RTNER
Stay Green Sprinklers has been our irrigation
partner for years — not a name picked up for this
submission. They have worked alongside our
crews across commercial, institutional and
multi-family projects valley-wide.
The relationship gives the City a second bench
of irrigation technicians for system-scale
problems, and the combined bonding capacity
of the Rivers / Stay Green team.
Full system design-assist and installation
Mainline, lateral, valve and zone construction
Rotor, spray and drip zones for turf, beds and trees
Smart and central controller installation and
programming
Coordination with plumbers on point of connection
and backflow
Spring startup and pressure testing
Zone-by-zone audits and coverage correction
Head, nozzle, valve and wire troubleshooting
Leak location and mainline repair
Controller reprogramming for weather & restrictions
Fall blowout and winterization
Emergency response on breaks
MSU AMERICAN INDIAN HALL OUTDOOR CAMPUS —
FLAGSTONE & STRUCTURE
6
RIVERS LANDSCAPIN G BELGRADE , MT · RE G. #2331 42
R E LE VA N T E XPER IENC E E VA LUATI ON CRITERION 1 · SIMILAR SIZE & DESI GN · 40 POINTS
SELEC T E D P ROJEC T S
CONSTRUCTION EXPERIENCE
Public, institutional and large-scale work completed by Rivers Landscaping. Client contacts appear in the
References section; additional detail on request.
PUBLIC, INSTITUTIONAL & MUNICIPAL
PROJECT TYPE / SCOPE GC / OWNER VALUE TIMEFRAME
Gianforte Hall — Montana
State University
Institutional campus landscape
— grading, hardscape, planting,
irrigation on an active campus
Swank Enterprises $700K Spring 2026
American Indian Hall
Outdoor Classroom — MSU
Flagstone & boulder
amphitheater, terraced seating,
hardscape, planting — public
gathering space
Blanton Contracting $450K Summer 2025
MSU Bobcat Stadium —
Parking & Grounds
Streetscape, grading, planting &
irrigation at a high-traffic venue
Knife River $440K Summer 2024
American Indian Hall —
Main Project, MSU
Institutional campus landscape
& irrigation
Swank Enterprises $300K 2021
Barnard Construction
Headquarters
Commercial headquarters
landscape — earthwork,
hardscape, planting, irrigation
Swank Enterprises $900K Spring 2025
MULTI-FAMILY, AFFORDABLE HOUSING & SUBDIVISION
PROJECT TYPE / SCOPE GC / OWNER VALUE TIMEFRAME
North 3rd Apartments Multi-family / LIHTC affordable
housing — full landscape &
irrigation
Rotherham
Construction
$650K 2025
Arrow Leaf / Perennial
Park
Affordable housing landscape,
common areas & amenity space
Rotherham
Construction
$650K Summer 2022
Apartment Complexes — 6
projects
Multi-family landscape
construction across the Gallatin
Valley
Various GCs ~$300K ea 2022–2025
Creekside Subdivision Residential subdivision — self-
performed as prime contractor
Rivers (Prime)$250K 2023
Ruh Building — N. 7th Ave
Streetscape
Streetscape and landscaping for
the building, including
installation of the City
streetscape pavers
City streetscape
corridor
Sub-scope 2022
Why these are "similar size and design." What transfers to a $79,999 City task order is not scale but conditions
— public sites, facilities that cannot close, phased access, grading-through-planting scopes on grounds the
public uses the next day.
7
RIVERS LANDSCAPIN G BELGRADE , MT · RE G. #2331 42
R E LE VA N T E XPER IENC E E VA LUATI ON CRITERION 1 · SIMILAR SIZE & DESI GN · 40 POINTS
PR O J E C T D E TA I L
THREE PROJECTS THE CITY
SHOULD LOOK AT
PUBLIC GATHERING SPACE
American Indian Hall Outdoor
Classroom — MSU
A flagstone and boulder
amphitheater with terraced seating,
built as a public gathering space on
an active campus — heavy stone set
to tolerance, grading tied to existing
walks, planting and irrigation around
a surface the public sits on.
Why it matters: the closest analog to
a City park amenity — stone,
terracing, drainage and durability
under public use.
$450K · SUMMER 2025 · BLANTON
CONTRACTING
HIGH-TRAFFIC PUBLIC VENUE
MSU Bobcat Stadium —
Parking & Grounds
Streetscape, grading, planting and
irrigation across stadium parking
and approach areas, sequenced
around an operating venue and an
immovable schedule — finished,
clean and open for a game.
Why it matters: City parks have
events and public deadlines. We have
delivered against a date that could
not move.
$440K · SUMMER 2024 · KNIFE RIVER
CAMPUS LANDSCAPE, START TO
FINISH
Gianforte Hall — MSU
Full institutional campus landscape
— earthwork and finish grade,
hardscape, planting and irrigation —
on a state-owned site under
institutional procurement, with
pedestrian traffic maintained
throughout.
Why it matters here: public owner,
public funds, public users, and a
general contractor's schedule. Same
rhythm the City runs.
$700K · SPRING 2026 · SWANK
ENTERPRISES
WORKING UNDER A PUBLIC OWNER
All MSU work is state-owned and publicly funded,
delivered under institutional procurement and
campus operations oversight, with two different
general contractors. Every project completed, none
late, none with liquidated damages. The
documentation and inspection rhythm a public
owner runs is one we already work inside.
TASK-ORDER READY
Our estimating department turns itemized pricing
on small scopes quickly. For $79,999-and-under
work at prenegotiated rates we quote, schedule and
mobilize without the overhead a project that size
cannot carry.
GRADING & SITE WORK — MSU BOBCAT STADIUM, KNIFE
RIVER
CRANE-SET MONOLITHIC STONE — MSU AMERICAN INDIAN
HALL OUTDOOR CAMPUS
8
RIVERS LANDSCAPIN G BELGRADE , MT · RE G. #2331 42
R E LE VA N T E XPER IENC E EVALUAT ION CRI TE RION 1 · MAI NTENANCE CON TRACTS · 40 POINTS
SELEC T E D CONTR AC T S
PARK & GROUNDS MAINTENANCE
EXPERIENCE
Ongoing and recent maintenance contracts — the engagements most directly comparable to the Parks and
Recreation Department's grounds care needs.
PROPERTY SCOPE OF CARE CLIENT / NOTE SIZE STATUS
Blackwood Groves —
three parks + HOA
Bozeman, MT
Full-season park and common-area
maintenance — turf and mowing, beds
and ornamentals, tree and shrub
health, weed management, irrigation
service and winterization, seasonal
cleanups
Bridger Builders /
Bridger Land Group
Slated to transfer to
the City
~3 acres
+ HOA
3 seasons
Ongoing
Nexus / 19th & Graf —
park
Full-season park maintenance carried
through to the park's dedication to the
City
Maintained by
Rivers until it
transferred into City
of Bozeman
ownership in 2025
Park Through
2025
Mountain View
Apartments
Commercial grounds maintenance —
turf, beds, irrigation service, seasonal
cleanups
Property ownership Multi-family Ongoing
Creekside Apartments Commercial grounds maintenance —
turf, beds, irrigation service, seasonal
cleanups
Property ownership Multi-family Ongoing
The Bootes Apartments Grounds maintenance — installed by
Rivers and maintained by Rivers
Property ownership Multi-family Ongoing
Annex Apartments Grounds maintenance — installed by
Rivers and maintained by Rivers
Property ownership Multi-family Ongoing
Warranty maintenance
—
installed sites
Establishment care, irrigation
management and site appearance on
landscapes built by our construction
division
Various owners &
COAs
Multiple Ongoing
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RIVERS LANDSCAPIN G BELGRADE , MT · RE G. #2331 42
MA INTENA N CE VALU E C ATEGORY 2 · PA RK & GROUNDS MAINTENA NCE
WHY A B UI L DER MA KES A BETT E R GR O UNDSK E E PER
WHAT THE CITY GETS FROM A
CONTRACTOR WHO ALSO BUILDS
DIAGNOSIS, NOT JUST
SYMPTOMS
A dead turf patch can be
irrigation coverage, compaction,
drainage, or a failed soil profile.
Crews who build landscapes
know the difference — we tell
the City which one it is instead
of reseeding the same spot each
spring.
ONE CONTRACTOR
THROUGH THE FIX
When a maintained park needs
real work — a failed wall, a
regrade, a bed rebuild, turf
replaced — the City does not
procure a second contractor or
wait on a bid cycle. It becomes a
task order to the firm already on
site.
THREE-YEAR PLANT
WARRANTY
Where Rivers holds the
maintenance contract on a
landscape we installed, the one-
year warranty extends to three
years. The City carries less
replacement risk on new
plantings; we carry more.
CONT INUITY THROUG H A TR ANSFER O F OWNERSHI P
Parks change hands, and crews usually do not survive the change — the new owner pays for it in a rough
first season of missed irrigation zones, an unfamiliar fertility program, and weed pressure that was under
control and suddenly is not. Rivers has already maintained a park through to City dedication once, at
Nexus / 19th & Graf. We are now three seasons deep on the Blackwood Groves parks, which are slated to
follow. Qualify us before the dedication and the transition costs the City nothing — same crews, same
account manager, same schedule, same institutional knowledge of the site.
SEASONAL COVERAGE — ALL TWELVE
MONTHS
QUALITY CONTROL
Every maintained property has a named account
manager who walks it, not just a crew that services
it. Site condition reports go to the owner on a
schedule — when a standard slips, the owner hears
it from us first.
For a Parks Department managing dozens of sites
with limited staff, that is the difference between a
contractor who adds to the oversight load and one
who takes some off.
Spring — cleanup, bed prep, irrigation startup and
audit, pre-emergent, first fertility, mowing begins
Summer — mow routes on schedule, weed control,
pruning, irrigation adjustment and repair, site
policing
Fall — aeration and overseeding, leaf and cutback,
final fertility, irrigation winterization
Winter — snow and ice removal and control, dormant
pruning, planning for the coming season
TURF CARE ON MAINTAINED PARK GROUNDS — RIVERS
MAINTENANCE DIVISION
DEDICATED MAINTENANCE DIVISION — UNIFORMED CREWS,
MARKED TRUCKS
10
RIVERS LANDSCAPIN G BELGRADE , MT · RE G. #2331 42
K E Y P E RS O N N E L EVALUATION CRI TERION 1 & 2 · PROFESSI ONA L PERSONNEL ASSI GNED
THE P E O P L E ASSI G N E D TO C ITY WOR K
WHO THE CITY WOULD
ACTUALLY WORK WITH
Every City task order is assigned a named manager who owns it start to finish. These are the people who
would hold that assignment.
Riley Rivers
PRESIDENT · RIVERS LANDSCAPING
LLC
Graduate of the MSU College of
Business and an avid Bobcat fan —
which made the three MSU campus
projects a particular privilege to build.
Founded Rivers in 2018 and grew it to 38
employees and ten crews. Worked with
City staff on WELO; President of
SWMBIA. Authorized to bind the firm.
Every City request comes to him, and
he owns it until it is done.
David Castro
MAINTENANCE ACCOUNT &
OPERATIONS MANAGER
Joined Rivers in 2023. Holds a degree in
Plant and Soil Science from Texas Tech
University — formal horticultural and
agronomic training, not just field time.
Runs maintenance accounts and
operations: scope, scheduling, crew
routing, quality control. The City's day-
to-day maintenance contact.
Aidan Theard
SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER ·
CONSTRUCTION
Senior PM over the construction
division — runs the largest and most
complex scopes, including the MSU
campus work. Owns schedule,
procurement, submittals and field
coordination. Leads City construction
task orders.
Dalton Lyons
PROJECT MANAGER ·
CONSTRUCTION
Five years with Rivers. Carries his own
book of construction work — landscape,
hardscape and planting scopes from
preconstruction through closeout on
multi-family and institutional projects.
Gavin Hunter
PROJECT MANAGER ·
CONSTRUCTION
Five years with Rivers. PM on
construction scopes — scheduling, crew
assignment, procurement and owner
communication. Runs concurrent jobs
across the valley.
Everett Hudyma
ASSISTANT PROJECT MANAGER
Three years with Rivers. Supports the
PM team across all active jobs —
submittals, material tracking, field
documentation and daily coordination.
Kurt Vandenburg
LEAD MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN
Leads maintenance field execution and
owns quality control across
maintained properties — catches a
standard slipping before the client does.
Irrigation, turf and bed condition, crew
standards every route.
Travis Van Vleck
ESTIMATOR
Runs in-house estimating — takeoffs,
bid coordination, budget guidance,
value engineering. On a term contract
this is the desk that prices City task
orders quickly and accurately against
prenegotiated rates.
11
RIVERS LANDSCAPIN G BELGRADE , MT · RE G. #2331 42
WOR KING WI T H U S E VA LUATIO N CRITERION 3 · SCHE DULE & BUDGET CAPABILITY · 20 POINTS
ONE C O N TAC T, TWO DI V ISI O N S
HOW THE CITY WOULD
WORK WITH US
A term contract only works if the City knows who to call and what happens next — here is both.
WHERE A CITY REQUEST GOES
Riley Rivers
PRESIDENT · SINGLE POINT OF ACCOUNTABILITY
Every City call, email or task order comes to Riley first. He scopes it,
decides which division owns it, assigns the manager, and stays
accountable through closeout. The City never has to figure out who to
chase. Office staff behind him handle invoicing, insurance certificates,
submittals and documentation, so a public owner never chases paperwork
through a field phone.
→ Aidan Theard
CONSTRUCTION DIVISION · SENIOR PM
Takes: landscape construction, mass planting, hardscape
and retaining walls, streetscape and paver work, irrigation
installation, trails and site amenities, ADA and site repairs.
Backed by Dalton Lyons, Gavin Hunter, Everett Hudyma
and six construction crews, priced by Travis Van Vleck.
→ David Castro
MAINTENANCE DIVISION · ACCOUNT & OPS MANAGER
Takes: park and grounds maintenance, turf and bed care,
weed management, irrigation service and winterization,
seasonal cleanups, snow and ice, emergency response on
maintained sites. Backed by Kurt Vandenburg on quality
control and four crews.
HOW A CITY TASK ORDER WOULD ACTUALLY RUN
EMERGENCY & SHORT-NOTICE RESPONSE
The RFQ names emergency repairs from water
leaks, storms and vandalism. A local yard, owned
equipment, ten crews and our own soil stock are
what make short-notice response possible. We can
pull a crew and be on a City park the same day.
SEASONAL REALITY, STATED PLAINLY
Landscape construction in Montana compresses
into April through October, and every contractor the
City qualifies will be busiest then. Our answer is
crew depth and early scheduling: the more lead time
on planned work, the more precisely we commit. On
emergency and maintenance work, lead time is not
required.
01
THE CALL
Parks staff calls or emails Riley
Rivers or David Castro directly. No
call center, no regional office. We
acknowledge same business day.
02
SITE WALK & SCOPE
A project manager walks the site
with City staff — usually within 48
hours, given the 15-minute drive —
and confirms scope, constraints and
access in writing.
03
PRICED TASK ORDER
Our estimating department prices
the scope line by line against the
prenegotiated rates and flags any
budget conflict before the City
commits.
04
SCHEDULED & ASSIGNED
A named crew and a named PM are
assigned with a start and finish date.
The City knows who is coming and
when.
05
EXECUTED & DOCUMENTED
Self-performed work, our
equipment, our soil. Progress and
any field condition change reported
to the City in writing, not discovered
later.
06
CLOSEOUT & WARRANTY
Walkthrough with City staff, punch
complete, warranty in force — one
year, or three where we hold the
maintenance contract.
12
RIVERS LANDSCAPIN G BELGRADE , MT · RE G. #2331 42
C A PACI T Y, S CHEDU L E & WOR KL O A D EVALUATI ON CRITERIA 3 & 4 · 30 POINTS COM BINED
F IR M WOR KL OA D
WE HAVE ROOM FOR THIS WORK —
LARGE SCALE AND SMALL
The City asked a direct question: can you meet our schedule and our budget, and do you have the
capacity to take our work? Our answer is yes, and the reason is structural rather than optimistic.
~$2M
COMMITTED BACKLOG
Contracted work for next
season
$7M
ANNUAL CAPACITY
Volume delivered most
recent year
10
CREWS AVAILABLE
Assignable across
concurrent jobs
15 min
FROM CITY HALL
Belgrade yard, 8 miles out
PRESENT & PROJECTED WORKLOAD
We are carrying roughly $2 million in committed
backlog into next season against a demonstrated
annual capacity of $7 million. That is deliberate. It
leaves real, unallocated capacity — and it means
City task orders would be scheduled into open
capacity rather than squeezed between
commitments.
We have availability for large-scale City projects
and small ones alike. A $75,000 park improvement
gets a crew and a project manager. A single day of
irrigation repair gets a crew and a project manager.
Neither one has to wait for the other to finish.
WHY SCHEDULING IS EASY FOR US
MEE T ING BUDGET REQUIRE MENTS
PRENEGOTIATED RATES, HELD
Our in-house estimating department exists to
make small-scope pricing fast and accurate.
Under a term contract we would hold the City's
prenegotiated rates, price task orders line by line
against them, and flag a scope or budget problem
before the work starts rather than in a change
order after.
Where a City budget will not cover a scope as
designed, we will say so and offer a value-
engineered option. That is a normal
conversation for us with GCs and owners, and
we would rather have it early.
TERM CONTRACT & RATES
We are prepared to sign a term contract, submit a
rate and fee schedule, and be placed on the call list.
We understand individual projects are capped at
$79,999, agreed by task order, and subject to
availability of funds.
Crew count. Ten crews means work is assigned, not
queued. Adding a City task order does not displace a
committed job.
Management depth. Three PMs and an account
manager — capacity to supervise concurrent work,
which is what usually caps a contractor before crews
do.
Owned equipment. No rental lead times. The machine
is in our yard.
Own topsoil. No supplier queue on the most
commonly delaying material in landscape work.
Self-performed scopes. No waiting on a sub's calendar
for grading, hardscape, planting or irrigation.
Local yard. Fifteen minutes to most City parks. Short
mobilization, and same-day response is realistic.
13
RIVERS LANDSCAPIN G BELGRADE , MT · RE G. #2331 42
R E F E RENC E S REQUIRED SUBMITTAL · FIVE PROJ ECTS, PAST FIVE YEARS
R E Q UI RED SUB M ITTA L · RFQ SEC T ION V.B .2 .E
REFERENCES
Detailed contact information for five projects undertaken by Rivers Landscaping within the past five years,
as required by the RFQ.
CONTACT FIRM / ROLE PHONE & EMAIL PROJECTS & RELATIONSHIP
Vince Blanton Blanton Contracting
General Contractor
(406) 570-9534
vince@blantoncontracting.com
General contractor who has hired
Rivers consistently since 2019 across
custom homes and commercial
projects. GC for the American Indian
Hall Outdoor Classroom, MSU ($450K,
Summer 2025). Our longest-running
client relationship.
Nick Morasco Rotherham
Construction
General Contractor
(406) 582-8223
nick@rothconst.com
North 3rd Apartments ($650K, 2025)
and Arrow Leaf / Perennial Park
($650K, 2022). Long-standing partner
across multiple affordable-housing
developments, with ongoing work.
Scott Bruner Swank Enterprises
General Contractor
(406) 279-3241
scott@swankenterprises.com
Barnard Construction HQ ($900K,
2025), Gianforte Hall, MSU ($700K,
2026), American Indian Hall, MSU
($300K, 2021). Three completed projects
— our strongest institutional reference.
Ira LeSage Knife River
Belgrade Division
(406) 388-6832
ira.lesage@kniferiver.com
MSU Bobcat Stadium — Parking &
Grounds ($440K, Summer 2024).
Streetscape, grading, planting and
irrigation at a high-traffic public venue
on a fixed opening date.
Grant Syth Bridger Builders /
Bridger Land Group
President —
Blackwood Groves
(406) 539-6015
grant@bridgerlandgroup.com
Blackwood Groves park — ongoing
maintenance contract. Roughly three
acres of park grounds inside the City of
Bozeman under full-season Rivers
maintenance. Our direct park-
maintenance reference.
Every reference listed above may be contacted directly. Additional references — including further multi-family
developments, custom-home builders and maintenance clients — are available on request.
14
RIVERS LANDSCAPIN G BELGRADE , MT · RE G. #2331 42
C I T Y E X PER I ENC E & L O CATION EVALUATION CRITERIA 5 & 6 · 10 POINTS
EVALU ATI O N CR ITER I A 5 & 6
CITY OF BOZEMAN EXPERIENCE & OFFICE LOCATION
RECENT & CURRENT WORK FOR THE
CITY OF BOZEMAN
We have installed projects similar in size and
scope to the City's work — we simply have not been
awarded a City contract yet. We are actively
bidding City of Bozeman landscaping projects as a
subcontractor, in the $250,000 to $800,000 range.
Qualification under this RFQ would let the City
engage us directly rather than through a general
contractor.
Work delivered in a City streetscape. In 2022 Rivers
built the streetscape and landscaping at the Ruh
Building, including installation of the City
streetscape pavers. Real work, to City streetscape
standards, in a City right-of-way context.
Park grounds carried to City dedication. Rivers
maintained the park at Nexus / 19th & Graf until it
transferred into City of Bozeman ownership in
2025. We are now three seasons into the three parks
and HOA common areas at Blackwood Groves (~3
acres), which are slated to transfer to the City next.
Public-sector delivery experience. Three
completed projects on the MSU campus — state-
owned, publicly funded, under institutional
procurement and campus operations oversight,
with two different general contractors.
OFFICE LOCATION
One location: 26 Rae Lane, Belgrade, MT 59714.
Headquarters, office, shop, equipment yard and
topsoil screening plant, all on one site — roughly 8
miles and 15 minutes from Bozeman City Hall.
We are not a branch office of an out-of-area
company. Rivers was started here, is owned here,
employs people who live here, and works only in the
Gallatin Valley and Big Sky.
Proximity means short mobilization, realistic same-
day emergency response, and no travel premium
buried in our rates.
C IV IC & INDU STRY INVOLVE MENT
ALREADY AT THE TABLE WITH THE
CITY
Riley Rivers has worked directly with City staff
on the Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance
(WELO) — the code now governing landscape
and irrigation standards on new development in
Bozeman. We know it because we helped work
through it, and we build and maintain to it.
He also serves as President of the Southwest
Montana Building Industry Association
(SWMBIA). The City is not an unfamiliar
counterparty to us, and we are not an unfamiliar
contractor to it.
15
RIVERS LANDSCAPIN G BELGRADE , MT · RE G. #2331 42
C LA IMS & C RED ENTIA L S REQUIR E D SUBMITTALS · RFQ SECTION V.B.2.D
R E Q UI RED SUB M ITTA L
CLAIMS, CREDENTIALS
& INSURANCE
RFQ SECTION V.B.2.D — CLA IM S
LIQUIDATED DAMAGES: NONE
At no time in the last ten (10) years has Rivers Landscaping LLC been assessed or paid liquidated damages
after completion of a project under a contract with a public owner. The answer is no. Further, in the firm's
history Rivers Landscaping has never been terminated for cause, never failed to complete a contract it
entered, and has no pending or past litigation with a public owner.
CREDENTIALS & INSURANCE
MONTANA CONTRACTOR REG.#233142
BONDING CAPACITY $2,000,000
GENERAL LIABILITY $1M / $2M
AUTO LIABILITY $1M CSL
UMBRELLA / EXCESS $2,000,000
WORKERS' COMP (EL)$1M / $1M / $1M
EMR SAFETY RATING 0.80
General Liability shown as per-occurrence / aggregate;
Auto as combined single limit. Certificates of insurance
meeting the requirements of the City's Professional
Services Agreement (Appendix B) will be provided prior to
contract signature. Rivers Landscaping has reviewed
Appendix B and takes no exception to its terms.
SAFETY
An EMR of 0.80, below the 1.00 industry baseline,
reflects a real safety record rather than a stated
commitment. Crews work under documented safety
practices, 811 locates are called on every excavation,
and traffic and pedestrian control is planned on
public-facing sites before a machine moves.
INSURANCE ON REQUEST
Certificates of insurance meeting the requirements
of the City's Professional Services Agreement
(Appendix B) will be provided prior to contract
signature. Rivers Landscaping has reviewed
Appendix B and takes no exception to its terms.
16
RIVERS LANDSCAPIN G BELGRADE , MT · RE G. #2331 42
D ISC LOS UR E S REQU IRED SUBM ITTALS · RFQ SEC TIONS II & VIII
R E Q UI RED SUB M ITTA L
DISCLOSURES &
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
RFQ SECTION II — REQU IRED DISCLO SU RE
GENERATIVE AI DISCLOSURE
Rivers Landscaping uses generative AI tools only
for internal office and computer-based
administrative tasks — document drafting,
correspondence, scheduling support and similar
back-office work.
No generative AI is used in the fulfillment or
delivery of the contracted services themselves.
All field work, horticultural and agronomic
judgment, site assessment, quality control, and
professional decision-making on City projects is
performed by Rivers Landscaping employees. No
AI system directs our crews, designs our work,
or substitutes for professional judgment on the
City's grounds.
NON-DISCRIMINATION & EQUAL PAY
Rivers Landscaping affirms it will not discriminate
on any basis identified in the RFQ, and affirms it will
abide by the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Section 39-3-
104, MCA (the Montana Equal Pay Act), consistent
with City Commission Resolution 5169. The
executed affirmation is attached as Appendix A.
This prohibition extends to our hiring and
treatment of employees and to all subcontracts.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF RFQ TERMS
Rivers Landscaping has read the RFQ in full and
acknowledges: the City's reservation of rights; that
submissions become City property subject to public
disclosure; that no oral agreement is binding; that
projects are subject to availability of funds; and that
individual projects under a resulting term contract
are capped at $79,999.
SUBCONTRACTORS & TRADE PARTNERS
We self-perform grading, hardscape, planting,
irrigation and maintenance. Where a scope requires
a licensed trade we do not hold — plumbing for
irrigation point of connection and backflow, or
electrical — we engage licensed subcontractors and
disclose them. Stay Green Irrigation is our standing
irrigation trade partner.
17
RIVERS LANDSCAPIN G BELGRADE , MT · RE G. #2331 42
CERTIFICATION & SIGNATURE SIGNED BY AN OFFICER OR PRINCIPAL OF THE FIRM
RFQ SECTION V.B.1.A
CERTIFICATION
The undersigned, an authorized principal of Rivers Landscaping LLC, certifies that the information
contained in this Statement of Qualifications is true and accurate to the best of his knowledge; that
Rivers Landscaping LLC has read and understands the City of Bozeman's Request for Qualifications
for Contractors — All Trades and Services, Parks and Recreation Department, including Appendix A
and Appendix B; and that Rivers Landscaping LLC is prepared to enter into a term contract with the
City on the terms described therein.
SIGNATURE DATE
Riley Rivers
President, Rivers Landscaping LLC
26 Rae Lane · Belgrade, MT 59714
406-570-6627 · riley@riverslandscapingmt.com
Montana Contractor Registration #233142
CATEGORIES REQUESTED
1 — Landscape Construction, Earthwork &
Irrigation. Grading and dirt work, hardscape,
retaining walls, planting and turf, irrigation
installation and repair, streetscapes and trails,
topsoil supply.
2 — Park & Grounds Maintenance. Full-season park
maintenance, turf care, bed and ornamental care,
weed management, irrigation maintenance,
seasonal cleanups, snow and ice.
POINT OF CONTACT FOR THIS SUBMISSION
Riley Rivers
riley@riverslandscapingmt.com
406-570-6627
Available for an interview at the committee's
convenience. We understand interviews are 45
minutes inclusive of committee questions and that
the format is ours to choose.
Attachments to this submission: Appendix A — Non-Discrimination and Equal Pay Affirmation, executed.
Certificates of insurance, financial statements, surety letter, and a rate and fee schedule are available on request
or at the point of contract negotiation.
Signature Page
RIVERS LANDSCAPING SYSTEMS · MANPOWER · PROJECT MANAGEMENT
APPENDIX A NONDISCRIMINATION AND EQUAL PAY AFFIRMATION
CITY OF BOZEMAN · REQUIRED FORM
NONDISCRIMINATION AND
EQUAL PAY AFFIRMATION
Rivers Landscaping LLC (name of entity submitting) hereby affirms it will not discriminate on the
basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, or because of actual or
perceived sexual orientation, gender identity or disability and acknowledges and understands the
eventual contract will contain a provision prohibiting discrimination as described above and this
prohibition on discrimination shall apply to the hiring and treatments or proposer's employees and
to all subcontracts.
In addition, Rivers Landscaping LLC (name of entity submitting) hereby affirms it will abide by the
Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Section 39-3-104, MCA (the Montana Equal Pay Act).
SIGNATURE
Riley Rivers
President, Rivers Landscaping LLC
Name and title of person authorized to sign on behalf of Respondent
DATE
RIVERS LANDSCAPING — COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE DIVISION
Appendix A
RIVERS LANDSCAPING BELGRADE , MT · REG. #233142