Amway Hotel Corp.’s Three Properties to Utilize Avendra’s Comprehensive Procurement Services
ROCKVILLE, MD – November 19, 2007 – Avendra, the hospitality industry’s leading procurement services company with $2.5 billion in purchasing volume, announced the signing of Amway Hotel Corporation of Grand Rapids, Mich. Amway Hotel Corporation will be leveraging Avendra’s key purchasing programs, including: food & beverage, rooms operations, engineering, administrative, cleaning chemicals and sanitizing systems, golf agronomy and turf maintenance, golf pro-shop, hotel gift shop and retail, smallwares, china, glass and silver, and spa supplies. The contract also includes access to Avendra Replenishment Group—Avendra’s one-stop-shop for replacement kitchen equipment and decorative furnishings.
“We look forward to working with Amway Hotel Corporation,” said Dennis Baker, president and CEO of Avendra. “Their Amway Grand Plaza Hotel is a venerable landmark in downtown Grand Rapids. Along with their other hotels, we are pleased that they chose to partner with us to deliver additional value to all their properties through our strategic supply chain management services.”
“We were looking for a flexible procurement solution for our three unique properties and our growing catering business with the Grand Rapids Convention Center adjacent to the Amway Grand Plaza,” said Bruce Alber, director of Purchasing for Amway Hotel Corporation. “We believe that Avendra’s extensive offering, along with their culinary expertise and ability to serve limited service to four-star hotels, will provide the quality and variety of products and services that all our guests expect.”
About Amway Hotel Corporation
Amway Hotel Corporation, a subsidiary of Alticor Inc., owns and operates three hotels in downtown Grand Rapids, Mich. The first property, the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, is a 682-room luxury hotel, fine dining and retail complex that has inspired two decades of development and revitalized the historic downtown of Grand Rapids. The four-diamond hotel was restored by the Amway Corp. and opened in 1981 in the old Pantlind Hotel, which was originally built in 1913. In 1983 an adjoining 29-story glass hotel tower opened. The second property, the JW Marriott - Grand Rapids, recently opened, is a 340-room, 24 floor, JW Marriott Hotel in downtown Grand Rapids. The third property, operated by Amway Hotel Corp., is the Courtyard by Marriott, Downtown Grand Rapids.
About Avendra
Avendra is North America’s leading procurement services company serving hospitality-related industries. Avendra customers gain access to contracts leveraging $2.5 billion of annual purchases, expert advisory services and in-depth purchasing data and analysis. Through Avendra, customers obtain substantial savings on their purchases and other value added services to improve their operations and bottom line results. Formed in 2001, the company is headquartered in Rockville, MD and has regional offices throughout the United States and Canada. For more information, please call toll free, (866) AVENDRA, visit www.avendra.com or email inquiries to info@avendra.com.