Torrington Country Club
Louis Thibeault, General Manager

Louis Thibeault does not fit the profile of a typical Avendra customer. He was an active member of the Torrington Country Club since 1982 having served on the club’s board of directors for three terms as well as club president from 1985 to 1987.  The club was in the process of an executive search in 1988 and Louis appeared to be the perfect match for this highly regarded 350 member private golf club located in the pristine Northwest Hill of Connecticut.  He had a diverse business career that proved to be just what Torrington Country Club needed and five years later, he is still the club’s general manager.  Louis still plays the challenging 18-hole course on occasion and comments on how he came to be in his current role:  “I knew my club, I knew the membership and I was well aware of the challenges that the club was facing – it was a great fit for both parties.”

Louis was introduced to Avendra at a Connecticut chapter meeting for the Club Managers Association of America. The idea of leveraged buying power with no minimum and no additional fee appealed to this experienced businessman. Louis says, “It really seemed too good to be true. I couldn’t believe everyone wasn’t taking advantage of it.”

At the same time, Louis could see the sensitivities involved. Some of his staff had been on board for years, and had developed their own relationships with suppliers. Louis realized that the transition might take time, and the benefit would have to be made clear to everyone. 

Luckily, Louis was familiar with some of the high quality suppliers that Avendra had contracts with – and it was easy to see the savings offered through Avendra. As a result, today Torrington Country Club uses Avendra for the vast majority of its $2.5 million purchases. 

Par for the course
With two dining areas and a growing event calendar, the bulk of Torrington’s purchases are in Avendra’s Food & Beverage program. An early “win” was the Avendra pricing of nearly $2 less per pound for the same quality and cut of steak, a club favorite.  Produce purchasing told the same story: buying the same items they had been buying before, the club could save 15-17%.

Louis was even more pleased, however, by the substantial savings in Avendra’s kitchen equipment program. With two bids for a refrigerator already submitted at $3,500, the Avendra price at 25% less was a pleasant surprise. He also saved $400 on each of the two beverage coolers he purchased through Avendra Replenishment.

Cost savings are key, but even more important to Louis Thibeault, who wears many hats at the Club, is amount of time he saves by being an Avendra customer.

“For purchasing, I know I only have to go to one place to get the quality and service I expect at the best price,” he says. “I can count on Avendra to take care of my purchasing needs.  Just as vital is the timely support that I get from the Avendra Customer Service staff – they are always there to help as a liaison between my club and my suppliers – if need be.   I am more able to concentrate on providing the best experience for the Torrington Country Club membership, and Avendra makes this most important part of my job a great deal easier.”