2017-109-Minutes for Meeting February 17,1983 Recorded 3/23/2017Recorded in Deschutes County CJ2017-109
Nancy Blankenship, County Clerk
Commissioners'Journal 03/23/2017 11:52:01 AM
Deschutes County Board of Commissioners
Bend, Oregon
DESCHUTES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Audio Cassette Recording Titled: Meeting regarding Office Supply Purchasing
February 17, 1983 9:05-10:40 AM
A special meeting of the Board of County Commissioners was held on February
17, 1983. Commissioners present were Albert Young, Lois Prante and Larry
Tuttle, along with various staff and Kevin Fox (?), a representative of Deschutes
Office Products; and representatives of Erikson's Office Supply and Cascade Office
Supply.
There was a lengthy discussion regarding the purchase of supplies and printing,
and the possibility of purchasing items in bulk to save money. It was pointed out
that the purchase of election printing and envelopes had to be handled
separately.
Mr. Fox thanked the group for inviting him and gave a presentation on his
company and what they might be able to do for the County. He referred to a
catalog regarding data processing, and another with general supplies, furniture
and equipment. One difference from other companies is that his company can
provide local service. He feels it is important to buy locally.
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They are unique because they put out sales flyers each month when suppliers
offer them discounts. They pass this on to their customers, and it can range from
20-50%. (He elaborated on the items that are currently on sale.) They also offer
quantity discounts.
He introduced an associate and continued with his presentation, with a question
and answer session from the group.
A representative of Erikson's Office Supply, Redmond, then spoke to the group.
She spoke about their catalog and what they offer in their store. They don't stock
everything that is in the catalog but can get items quickly. They have been in
business in the same location for thirty years. It is important to try to get a
handle on spending. She feels a bid system would help with this. They work with
other municipalities regarding a central supply system. This results in better
prices through quantity purchases. There will be a standard discount of 12% plus
additional discounts for quantity purchases, and even more if they buy through
the State GSA.
Some companies won't give a discount off the top plus a quantity discount. They
will give both. They have someone coming to Bend three days a week, and the
other two days can be covered if something is needed right away. They work with
a cooperative and have brochures for sales that cover every two months.
A representative of Cascade Office Supply then spoke to the group. There might
be benefits to centralized purchasing for cost savings. They can provide service,
quality, price and delivery. The biggest concern seems to be the price. There will
be times when any supplier won't have what is needed in stock, but they can get
it quickly. They stand behind their products.
They can buy cheaper from some mail order companies because those companies
can k uy in huge quantities. However, there will not be local service or quick
delivery. They can get items from wholesalers within a day or two.
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If the County orders from a mail order company, someone has to coordinate the
purchases. It is not easy to develop central purchasing, and it is not always
convenient. They would have to start a warehousing program for it to work
effectively. That probably means hiring someone to run this program. It will
also tike up more of staff's time.
If something is ordered via mail order, it is difficult to handle problems with the
item. Most mail order companies do not handle special orders. This also means
money is spent outside of the area, and he feels it is important for the County to
spend its money locally to support residents. The County can try different local
sour( -ns and have them compete for the business. All of the dealers need to make
a rr >>onable profit. They run specials eight months of the year. These can mean
off on some items, and they also have in-store specials. There may also
be. additional 10% discount on some items.
A len<;thy discussion took place among the attendees at this point. Most felt that
thew would prefer to buy only specialty items from outside vendors, and were
swi i i;' -,d with buying from local companies. They in particular seemed most
sari 'led with working with Deschutes Office Supply, although some preferred the
clV, �r companies.
Rc- (?) and Phil Ames with Mahoney Office Equipment then spoke to the group.
W. �:nies gave an overview of their company, services and products. They will
finch every way they can to work with the County to meet its goals and objectives.
They focus on service, product selection and price. (He went into detail on this
as;'- cts.) They stand behind their products and service. They keep track of
sp ci;-'! needs so they can be provided quickly when needed.
Th -/ have a fully qualified service department to take care of machinery and
ec; .,ipment. They have a full-time purchasing agent and a direct computer link to
on-, or their major suppliers. If something is out of stock, they will know it right
av ay <Ind can order from another supplier. They have the most diverse stock in
Central Oregon, and carry a lot of special items.
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The big item is pricing. The current discount is 10% off regular prices. Regular
prices are often below list price. Each month they have sales with discounts of
20-75 The County averaged about $608 a month in purchases for the last six
months, through 30 different accounts. If this could be consolidated in some way,
this co(ild mean additional discounts. If this was $1,000 per month, they could
discount at 15% of regular pricing. They can also do volume discounts for items
th,-it zire purchased at the same time.
After these individuals left, there was a long discussion about the quality of things
like parer clips, different types of pens and legal size pads.
One person said her husband is a sales representative with EMT in Portland and
they will give a substantial discount for orders over $400. This would mean
coordinating orders. They deliver once a week. Some other participants were
skeptic, -11, and indicated they would rather keep their business local. Someone
said she purchased from Budget Office Supplies locally, on 3rd Street, and their
prices were very reasonable. They delivered right away.
After ;, lengthy discussion, no decisions were made, and no formal action was
taken.
1 certifv that the above is a true and accurate record of a meeting, as reproduced from a
cassc tape identified as Minutes of a Special Meeting of the Deschutes County Board of
Commissioners, held on February 17, 1983. This record was completed subsequent to the
presiding Deschutes County Board of Commissioners' tenure.
Bonnie raker
FOr the i'oard of County Commissioners
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