A ringing phone many years ago led Sourcewell to Washington, D.C. Sourcewell’s board of directors and several Sourcewell staff recently returned from the Department of Defense, where the company entered into a landmark agreement with the Army. Some of you may have seen the article published by the military press last week. The contract is for Sourcewell to support the Army Facilities Management Command in its acquisition efforts for facilities (bases, camps, posts, etc.) throughout the United States. How did this happen? Good question!
Sourcewell has a long history of supporting schools and public organizations in the five counties surrounding Staples. We often get asked questions about what we do. Simply put, we are committed to helping local schools and public institutions achieve their goals.
This comes after the Minnesota Legislature created nine community service cooperatives in the 1970s, each focused on serving a particular Minnesota county. Our headquarters are located in Staples and we serve Wadena, Todd, Cass, Crow Wing, and Morrison counties. Our work in these counties ranges from helping to recruit bus drivers to funding the purchase of emergency response jump bags, group purchasing, and more. We work with local schools, cities, counties, and other public agencies to help them achieve their goals of community success.
What we are known for nationally is our group purchasing efforts. When states created community service cooperatives, they were not given the power to levy taxes or borrow money. Instead, we have listed specific ways you can obtain funding to provide your services. One of those services is group purchasing.
The American Bar Association Model Procurement Code defines group purchasing as follows: “A collaborative purchase is a procurement conducted by or on behalf of one or more public procurement departments.” Created by Sourcewell’s team of procurement experts, the collaborative agreement is designed to help Minnesota cities, counties, schools, and more. , is also recognized and used throughout the United States. New York City, Orange County (California), and the Houston School District are examples of large public institutions that have found value in our contracts. Over the years, we have built a national reputation for excellence in the field of group purchasing.
That’s how the Army found us. New Mexico military acquisition personnel learned about us through our reputation for supporting collaborative purchasing efforts in cities and counties across the country. Military facilities are the same as cities. We need all the same things that cities need: heavy equipment, utility poles, heating and cooling systems. He called our legal team and left a voicemail. Sounded a little crazy! The U.S. military called us to ask if we could help with their procurement efforts. Fortunately, Marcus Miller, our organization’s chief legal and government relations officer, called me back.
Historically, we have not devoted many resources to working with federal agencies because of the complexity of that level of procurement. However, it just so happens that several of our staff members have experience in military procurement. These people worked closely with those on our legal and finance teams and with the leaders of our New Mexico facilities to find a way. They started with a few small purchase projects, including a water truck, a small zero-turn lawn mower, and a shade structure. After testing and refining the process, we and the Army decided it was time to enter into partnerships and agreements with all Army installations across the United States.
Through this partnership, Sourcewell provides purchasing services and the Army pays for those services. The Army selects the projects that best meet its needs. For Sourcewell, those fees come back here to Minnesota. The increased funding means we can further support schools and public agencies in the five counties we serve.
Marcus Miller responded to his first call from the Army while traveling through Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. After meeting with Assistant Secretary of the Army Rachel Jacobson at the Pentagon, we returned home through the same airport. Thinking about that coincidence gave me goosebumps. It is a great honor to serve the Army in this capacity. From our organization here at Staples. I believe many good things will come from this partnership for the Army and the five-county region we serve.
