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Cheap Shots
A thousand here. A couple thousand there.
It's a jungle out there in terms of survival. Referenda defeated. Budgets slashed. Even the usual summer job market reflects the story. Money is short and so is the collective patience of those of us who count every dollar several times before spending it. Given an economy that even optimists say won't turn around soon — and considering the fact that the new administration has yet to settle into their roles in Springfield, which means funding cuts could await — the time has never been better to take advantage of our co-op buying program. Communal buying is centuries old and found in nearly every culture, but the IPRA co-op program has roots much closer to home. Sometime in the mid- 1980s, folks affiliated with the Park and Natural Resource Management Section got together under the leadership of Elmhurst Park District's Steve Plumb because they were tired of paying retail prices for items each of the section members required to help run their agencies smoothly and efficiently. The group started their experiment small — with grass seed, actually — and over time, they added other items to help defray mounting operational costs at their facilities. Like most ingenious ideas, this one grew by leaps and bounds once other section members started hearing about the huge savings being harvested thanks to the group's efforts. Ultimately, neither Plumb nor his section members could keep up with the administrative work it took to keep their wholesale buying operation functioning. They turned to IPRA and asked former Membership Services Manager Sue Henry to take up the challenge. Like the PNR Section, Henry soon found herself shepherding a program that grew quickly. Since that time, the co-op program has flourished under the capable control of several IPRA staffers. I took charge of it for a period and then passed it along to Lori Karole Shook. As Lori's educational plate got fuller, Heather Weishaar assumed the project and continues to guide all aspects of the venture with an efficient committee co-chaired this year by Jason Herbster of Glenview and Mike Fletcher of Clarendon Hills.
From coordinating vendors to overseeing the actual bidding, this committee/staff effort is amazing. As product, conditions, prices and demands of agencies fluctuate and change, so does the mix of offerings. And for IPRA members downstate, you might call co-op a double blessing because shipping costs are included in the bid price vendors offer. Whether you order tonnage of pool chemicals or dozens of basketballs, your guaranteed savings will be 10 to 60 percent. The co-op program has not been without its funnier moments. When we rented space in Winfield, the 900-square-foot IPRA office packed with people, furniture, equipment and more, took on a circus-like atmosphere whenever co-op loomed. Everyone's space was invaded by boxes and bags stacked to the ceiling. We had to carve out a corridor to walk, and, at one point, I recall getting complaints from the lawyers upstairs. They had grown tired of walking through spilled glitter when trying to get to their offices. And the sound of basketballs being bounced off walls when we tested their strength nearly drove the litigators out of their minds. Our solution? We bribed them. With each co-op season, a number of basketballs found their way upstairs to make sure we didn't wind up on the wrong end of a legal noise complaint! At IPRA, we've kept an eye on other buying programs that launch (and mostly fail), just to make sure we're staying on track. As a matter of fact, the only ones thriving today are the State of Illinois Acquisitions Program and ours. 8 | Illinois Parks and Recreation CHEAP SHOTS
But the benefits of co-op, to quote a popular phrase, continue to be endless. Think of the time agencies save. No comparative shopping. No dealing with pesky sales-people. No aggravating telephone follow-up. No invoicing. No down time for staff. We do all the work and you do all the saving. Still need proof of how successful this program is? What began as a dozen bags of grass seed ordered in bulk by a handful of PNR Section folks has evolved into an enterprise that generated $1,348,485 in sales this year. That's an amazing tab for turf supplies, arts and crafts materials, aquatic necessities, drums, signage, first aid supplies and balls. Wondering what your colleagues are ordering through the co-op program? See our list of fourteen favorites. Need more reason to sample the co-op program? How about satisfaction. Regular audits of the program reveal astonishing satisfaction rates, and since IPRA follows State of Illinois and Park District bidding guidelines (including the Prompt Payment Act), you've got everything to gain and nothing to lose by joining us. I urge you to contact Heather Weishaar at 630-752-0141 for more information if you're not already on board. Speaking of boards — it sure doesn't hurt when you advise yours that you've found a great way to save money and time. Just don't tell them it's been right under your nose for the last 20 years.
July/August 2003 | 9 |
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