16 Jan Supporting the Local Economy with Purchasing
Here at Steele Hill Resorts we are doing our part to support the local economy. As a company, we have made a concerted effort to keep our purchasing in New Hampshire and the greater New England area. “It has been difficult to watch local, hardworking people struggle with job loss. Our management team decided that purchasing services and products from nearby vendors would make a small contribution towards getting the local economy back on its feet,” says Rob Robillard, Director of Operations at Steele Hill.
As part of our purchasing process, we have made regional proximity a priority for vendor selection. From flat screen TVs to Flooring, we look to the local market first. Phil’s TV, a small electronics dealer, recently won the contract to provide new flat screen televisions to the resort. Based out of a small office in Franklin, New Hampshire, Phil TV beat out the likes of Walmart to win the contract. “While a similar TV set may have been slightly less expensive from a big store, Phil TV worked their prices down and demonstrated a commitment to long term service that was hard to pass up,” points our Mr. Robillard. The same purchasing strategy helped us select the vendor when we updated the flooring in the reception hall. Instead of purchasing new materials from a big box store, we paid Konopka Flooring in Pittsfield, New Hampshire to refinish all of the existing hardwoods. “Larry Konopka is a long time member at Steele Hill and he is also a highly respected craftsman at refinishing hardwoods. Why go through a costly renovation project with imported materials, when we can work with a local business and achieve better results?” asks Robillard.
As a company, we apply the same philosophies when purchasing furniture during regular renovation cycles. Steele Hill’s primary furnishings supplier is Mountain Resort Interiors based out of Rutland, Vermont. “When we purchase furniture, we look to buy local and made in America,” says CEO William Cutillo. While this strategy does not always result in the best price, many of the products we buy stand up better in a commercial application and save the company money by avoiding unnecessary replacement costs.
Buying local is a practice familiar to the restaurant and grocery industries. Taking the concept a step further in commercial applications can be more difficult to achieve. Many suppliers are so nationalized and reliant on imported goods that it is impossible to have a perfect track record. In fact, Steele Hill has a strong relationship with the Home Depot in Tilton. However, when opportunities to purchase local present themselves, we put our money where our mouth is. “I understand not every company has the luxury of adding to their purchasing budget based on principals alone,” says Mr. Cutillo, “but, as an organization, sometimes making a small statement can go a long way towards showing your customers that they are part of something bigger.“