Berkeley Hall Club Leverages Avendra’s Supply Chain Expertise to Gain Greater Savings and Help Source Products During COVID-19 Pandemic
Berkeley Hall Club is a distinctive private golf community edged on the banks of the Okatie River in Bluffton, South Carolina. The 980-acre property boasts two world-class Tom Fazio courses and a Jeffersonian-style clubhouse that form the “Core of the Community” comprising 554 homes and home sites around the 36 holes’ perimeter allowing two walkable classic courses.
Avendra first partnered with Berkeley Hall in December 2019 and works closely with its’ CFO/Controller, Berwick Drews. We interviewed Berwick to see how Avendra’s purchasing programs and broad supplier network helps the Club achieve its cost savings and quality goals and procure products during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As Berkeley Hall Club’s CFO/Controller, part of my role is performing and analyzing results of competitive bid processes on various products or services. Previously, a lot of time and effort was put in by my team to research and source vendors. Now, whether it is pest control services, pool chemicals, kitchen products, or just about anything else, we can just place a call to our Avendra Procurement Specialist and shortly thereafter we have a vetted vendor list with all our requested needs.
In a nutshell, Avendra helps lessen our burden, saving time and taking workload off staff resources. This was never truer than during the COVID-19 crisis.”
How is Avendra Helping During COVID-19?
“We were extremely fortunate to have remained open the entire time during the pandemic following our state’s guidelines. Golf play was restricted to members only, our restaurant transitioned to curbside dining pickup and we created a member commissary.
Avendra helped us procure in-demand products supporting our 1,000-member community — from our Master Food Distributor, US Foods, to our regional meat suppliers. Their expertise in managing this crisis helps ensure we are prepared and can plan for any impacts to the supply chain. They provide guidance on when we should purchase products based on anticipated pricing fluctuations and can help source new suppliers if there are any product shortages, particularly for high-demand PPE products.”
What Other Changes Have You Noticed Since Working with Avendra?
“The change in pricing was an immediate positive impact to our business. From the very beginning, we have seen significant cost savings. Participating in Avendra’s programs allows us to gain better pricing for the products we buy, while continuing to work with many of our same suppliers. Because Avendra’s supply chain oversight goes all the way back to the growers and manufacturers, we have confidence in the quality of the products being offered to our member community.
Another impact I’ve noticed is the level of detailed reporting data we receive. With Avendra’s weekly and monthly reports, I can immediately see if the Club is on track to our goals, and if not, where there are opportunities to achieve greater savings. Through Avendra’s customer portal, myAvendra, it is easy to access and export the financial data we can then share with our entire Management Team. It allows us to be more proactive and smarter about our purchasing.”
What Capabilities Stand Out Most About Your Partnership with Avendra?
“The quantity and range of suppliers provide the best value options for what we need. We are a combination of a restaurant and hotel, then you add golf on top – it’s a complicated industry. Avendra helps us find suppliers and negotiate savings that we could never find on our own.
Additionally, I can’t say enough about our Procurement Specialist who helps source products for us and makes sure we get the most from our F&B drop sizes to drive higher savings. Our team’s relationship with our Procurement Specialist has proven to be a valuable resource. It’s like having your own purchasing agent on staff that doesn’t cost us anything.“