Sometimes, when organizations are looking to make changes to their existing facilities they can hit a snag as to where to look. Many times, potential customers choose to use cooperative purchasing as a solution. Co-ops help customers find the best possibilities to suit any budget. One such example is the Cooperative Purchasing Division of Atlas, a company that specializes in the design and construction of sports facilities.
Cooperatives are set up to help streamline communication between customer and vendor and to bring an overall level of efficiency to an often complicated and arduous task. Brad Dietz, Assistant Principal and Athletic Director at Seaman High School in Topeka, Kan. recently used the Atlas Cooperative Purchasing Contract to purchase a new turf for a facility at his school. “We resurfaced one field, football—but also marked it for soccer, and of course our PE classes and marching band. It’s a multi-purpose field. We do a lot of things on it.” He added, “You just walk out there and everything’s bright and it looks like it’s just been painted. It’s in perfect condition.”
Atlas Cooperative Purchasing helps academic and municipal organizations provide fun and safe alternatives to natural grass for their facilities. Atlas aids schools by finding the best available deals, helping to increase a school’s purchasing power
Dale Carlstrom, Director of Operations at Osseo Area Schools District 279 in Osseo, Minn. said they were looking for a more efficient use of space when they decided to switch from natural grass to synthetic turf. Three fields for football, soccer and lacrosse were procured using this cooperative method. He added, “I didn’t have to go through the sealed bid process which probably cut a month or two months off the entire process. Using Atlas’s Purchasing Cooperative was a valuable tool in dealing with tight time lines. It streamlined the process.”
Senior Landscape Architect Ted Holden of the City of Seattle has used the Atlas Co-op for several years. They’ve purchased FieldTurf fields to reduce maintenance and increase playability. Holden said, “It has a very true surface. It replicates natural grass as close as possible, and it drains well. FieldTurf provides a first class facility and wears well for eight to 10 years.” Holden noted that Atlas’s Purchasing Cooperative allowed them to obtain a product at a known price and with a known top quality. “By using the co-op approach,” he added, “we are assured the public’s money will be spent to purchase the highest quality field.”
Installing FieldTurf as a replacement to natural grass is quickly becoming the rule rather than the exception. One of the most effective and timely ways to obtain FieldTurf products is through the use of a purchasing cooperative.
“The children,” he said, “had been told the turf would feel different than grass does, so the first time they stepped on it they were initially quite cautious, but that didn’t last long. We are very, very happy with the school’s FieldTurf Field
Providing them with the appropriate solution that meets their needs. In addition to the potential of reducing costs, using a purchasing co-op and installing FieldTurf is a cost-efficient endeavor for many cash-strapped schools and smaller towns. Brian Dunnihoo, Director of Facilities and Construction Management for Deming, N.M. Schools, said the school district decided to install FieldTurf at an elementary school. To the best of their knowledge, this is the first such installation in an elementary school in the state. The school went through an extensive search plan and then finalized a purchase of FieldTurf based on the merits of the product. FieldTurf was the top candidate for quality and warranty. According to Dunnihoo, using the Atlas Co-op was helpful in achieving a competitive price in a timely manner.
