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Ocean Reef Club

Avendra Provides Supply Chain Solutions to a Remarkable Club Community

The Ocean Reef Club is an exclusive, residential private club community spanning 2,500 acres in beautiful Key Largo, FL. There are more than 1,500 properties and residences (more than 100 of which are directly managed by the Club), along with a 145-room hotel. They also oversee a 175-slip marina, 12 restaurants, two golf courses, twenty tennis courts, three warehouses (food, retail and general office supplies and uniforms to support the resort’s 580 employees), along with a fitness center, spa, service station and an airport!

With such an expansive mix of facilities and member needs, you can imagine how vital an efficient, cost-effective procurement process is to the Club’s success. The Ocean Reef Club has been an active Avendra customer for over a decade.

Dan Taylor, Ocean Reef Club’s Director of Purchasing, supports the procurement needs of 20 different departments (e.g. F&B, maintenance, etc.). Philippe Reynaud has been with the company for 14 years and currently serves as the Senior Director of Culinary Operations. In addition to 12 restaurants, Ocean Reef offers a mind-boggling array of culinary services and events: 16 a la carte menus, street fairs, beach events, in-residence dining, private parties, boat service, plane delivery, and more.

 

Saving Time & Sidestepping Pitfalls

With such a large operation, Dan and Philippe’s purchasing pain points could easily escalate into serious problems.

Dan cites the sheer number of staff and resources he needs to train…and then trust that they’ll keep purchasing inline and under control. Thankfully, he reports that Avendra’s Field Support representative, Bob Snoddy, helps communicate the program value and tools to the staff. Having staff trained to use the self-service tools and user-friendly insights on myAvendra.com also makes Dan’s job much easier.

Philippe is responsible for making decisions on all new suppliers and looking at all F&B purchases to ensure quality, consistency and price. He needs to source fresh products for his customers, and like Dan, is often crunched for the time required to check in with every supplier to continuously find the best value. Avendra saves them both valuable time by thoroughly vetting suppliers and consistently offering Ocean Reef Club the best deals, from the best suppliers, on the products and services they need.

 

A Full Spectrum of Services

And oh, what a range of products and services that is! Just a few of the Avendra programs and services Ocean Reef Club regularly use include:

  • Food and beverage (everything from grocery staples to gourmet/specialty food providers and luxury items)
  • Smallwares
  • Amenities
  • Uniforms
  • Engineering supplies
  • Furniture, fixtures & equipment (through Avendra’s FF&E Services)
  • Services (including landscaping, carpet cleaning, window washing, etc.)
  • Golf suppliers
  • Maintenance vehicles and shuttles

Ocean Reef Club’s unique and diverse list of procurement needs mean Dan and Philippe depend on both ongoing help from their Avendra Field Support representative to find the best suppliers and the best prices, and Avendra’s regular updates on market trends for budgeting purposes, including the annual Cost Outlook publication. Philippe raves, “Cost Outlook provides fantastic detail, explaining why the supply of certain items is good or bad.”

 

A True Purchasing Partner

As a private club, it’s absolutely critical to keep costs down for members. Philippe often does his own competitive comparisons of other local clubs, resorts and restaurants to keep his finger on the pulse of the market. “Avendra helps by meeting with the purchasing team periodically and discussing opportunities to lower costs, without reducing quality or experience for members. This gives us the means to compare different offerings, and ultimately the confidence in the prices we’re paying our suppliers,” he says.

Avendra also hosts regional events, ranging from tradeshows to farm tours, throughout the year and across North America. Philippe especially appreciates this perk. “When we have the chance to meet with suppliers and see their products, it’s a great opportunity for the F&B team. It’s always good to check in on your suppliers and see what’s new.”

For quality assurance, Philippe is happy to know that regional meat, seafood, poultry and produce suppliers are audited to Avendra specifications at least annually. Avendra QA Managers also audit master distributors regularly and inspect incoming shipments of core items. Product evaluations are completed on an ongoing basis.

The Ocean Reef Club knows it can depend on Avendra to help protect the integrity of its supply chain, ensure competitive pricing, help source the best products and services, and provide valuable resources to keep operations running smoothly. We look forward to another successful decade of working with this unique and vibrant club community.

To find out what Avendra can do for you, fill out an information request form to learn more.