Davidson Hotel Company, Memphis, TN
Tony Richardson, Vice President, F & B and Procurement

One of Avendra’s first customers - Tony Richardson, vice president at Davidson Hotel Company - is today one of its biggest enthusiasts.  Just ask - he’ll be delighted to talk about the steadily declining food costs he has realized by using Avendra’s Food and Beverage program over the past five years. But as of this year, there’s a new story to tell.

From the headquarters in Memphis, Davidson manages 22 hotels across the US, under such flags as Renaissance, Hilton, Radisson, Holiday Inn and Marriott. Over the years, the company has renovated 20 hotels, representing more than $300 million in capital improvements.

Tony oversees centralized procurement - and by using Avendra Replenishment for recent renovation efforts, his company is posting remarkable savings. Avendra Replenishment is Avendra’s business unit specializing in providing replacement kitchen equipment and decorative furnishings to its customers. 

A total spend of $400,000 in the past six months on replenishment items has turned Davidson Hotel Company into one of Avendra Replenishment’s regular customers. Tony explains:  “We made it a point to always include Avendra Replenishment in the bidding process, and, time and time again, whether it was for ice makers or floors for a walk-in cooler, they consistently brought in bids 12-20 percent below the others.”

The Value of Brainpower
The savings have been noted in time as well as expense. Like others in the hospitality industry, Davidson has been streamlining central operations and looking for ways to support internal staff. “Outsourcing through Avendra has allowed us to offload a lot of man-hours and management expense,” Tony comments. “They act as partners in our day-to-day operations.”

Tony also appreciates the knowledge that Avendra offers on both Davidson’s product line and the hotel industry in general.  “They’re not just selling, they’re advising,” he says. “We generally get more than one option on any product or service, and they can tell us the advantages of the different choices. The information makes us better decision-makers.”

Despite years of experience, Tony Richardson remains impressed with the power he gains by being an Avendra customer. He summarizes, “Davidson Hotel is a medium-size firm, but that’s not how we’re treated when we call our suppliers. We command the pricing and attention of an industry giant, just by using the Avendra name.”