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Inside ACA — May 2008  Printable Version (PDF)

ACA Spotlight on Business
Business Resources

FoodSource Plus

Consorta Group Buying Program –SYSCO

Rising food prices impact camps' bottom line. Counteract food inflation with the ACA Business Partner Program.

ACA estimates a 5 percent increase across the board on food and non-food items! Taking steps now to lessen the effect of food inflation on your budget is more important than ever. ACA recommends exploring ACA Business Partners as a way to save money on food.

Do not delay in exploring these savings opportunities because these savings require some advance planning!

Watch Food Cost Increase Alert Video


Opportunity #1FoodSource Plus – ACA Business Partner

FoodSource Plus has negotiated costs savings with hundreds of distributors nationwide in an effort to save ACA camps money. There is no cost to join FoodSource Plus, and all their services are free to ACA camps.

How it works: FoodSource has arrangements with food wholesalers and distribution companies across the country, and their expertise is in negotiating the lowest possible costs for groceries, paper goods, and cleaning supplies offered by these vendors. Based on the work they've done with ACA camps, they estimate savings for your camp to be 10 percent to 35 percent over what you were paying last summer.  FoodSource Plus customers are part of a program that is not affiliated with any one food service distributor or manufacturer, so you receive the best, most comprehensive and affordable food and supply services available. With FoodSource Plus, you buy from the lowest pricing tier the distributors in their network offer. FoodSource guarantees your pricing with the distributor in their network, and there is no outside sales rep adjusting the pricing margins to make a profit.

Additional Benefits: In addition to saving money on the products you are already buying, FoodSource Plus will also create menus and order guides based on your budget and resources, adhering to dietary and nutrition requirements and guidelines. ACA's FoodSource representative, Stephanie Bonenfant, will create custom menus and orders based on your unique needs and resources and will provide you with samples of what other camps are doing. Stephanie will recommend menus and healthy, high quality products that will help stretch your food budget.

To request a free, no-obligation savings proposal detailing how much FoodSource Plus can save you, contact Stephanie Bonenfant at FoodSource Plus at 866-248-4520, sbonenfant@foodsourceplus.com. Or simply fax your most recent invoices to her at 508-336-6695.

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Opportunity #2 – Consorta Group Buying Program –SYSCO

Overview: The Consorta agreement with SYSCO, available to all camps, offers pricing based on collective food purchases of almost $100 million annually. SYSCO requires that you purchase approximately 80 percent of your typical food items from SYSCO. Note: Purchase of janitorial and sanitation supplies, paper products, and other camp supplies from SYSCO will count toward this 80% commitment. The minimum order size per delivery (food and supplies) is $750.

Consorta has also established a rebate program that provides an average additional 2 percent back. Checks are sent directly to the purchasing entity from Consorta and take about sixty to ninety days after the first contract purchase. After the initial sixty to ninety days, the rebates are paid quarterly.

Contact information: Contact the ACA National Office for a passkey (Kim Bruno – 800-428-2267, ext. 309) to access the convenient ACA Web Portal (www.aca.purchasingpoint.org ) which will outline the easy SYSCO sign-up process.

Pricing and savings: Hundreds of invoices from National Assembly members (ACA is a member of the National Assembly)  have been compared with SYSCO pricing under this contract. The savings for food purchases averages 17 percent not counting incentive rebates.

In addition to the pricing in place with SYSCO, there are additional "off invoice" incentives the camp can obtain. These include payment terms, average drop size incentives and the use of SYSCO Brand products. Your new national account executive ("new" if you've been using an existing local rep) can review these incentives with you to determine which are obtainable based on your camp's ordering practices.

SYSCO has extensive experience converting organizations from other suppliers and their account executives will work with you to discuss specific needs. They will help develop order guides, work with you to place your first order, and do what is required to assist you with the conversion.

NOTE: If you talk to your current SYSCO representative they will not have the correct information regarding this national program. In fact, they will possibly try to talk you out of the program. It is necessary to go through the national office of SYSCO to qualify for this pricing. You will be assigned a SYSCO account executive who is familiar with the Consorta contract.
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ACA understands that making a change in your food purchasing procedure may be a big step. We realize that making a change in your food supplier representative requires a giant leap of faith and a change of the usual way you conduct business!

Yet, increasing food costs demand that every camp director take a serious look at how they can mitigate these increases. Both FoodSource Plus and the Consorta SYSCO programs have been researched and reviewed by ACA. And, they can help camps through this price increase crisis.

Products and services mentioned in Spotlight on Business have not necessarily been used or reviewed by the American Camp Association and mention of them does not constitute an endorsement from ACA.

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