Cooperative Agreement Leads to Savings

  • 12/01/15
Arkansas State University (ASU) Convocation Center

Replacing 10,000+ seats was a big job for Arkansas State University, but with E&I, they were able to find both a durable and economical solution with ease.

Built in 1987, the Arkansas State University (ASU) Convocation Center is a colossal arena designed to accommodate concerts, rodeos, ice shows, trade shows and a variety of athletic events. The center serves a tri-state market area of 500,000, including more than 12,000 university students.

About three years ago, ASU determined it was time to replace the convocation center’s original seating, which consisted of 10,000+ seats on telescopic platforms. Project requirements called for a durable seating solution with the flexibility to accommodate the arena’s multi-purpose event configurations.

ASU focused on two factors when assessing potential seating suppliers: quality and cost. Irwin Seating Company was an immediate standout, due to its reputation as an industry leader in the telescopic seating space. As a member of E&I Cooperative Services, ASU could save significantly on its purchases with Irwin Seating, by utilizing the Cooperative’s competitively awarded contract.

“The E&I contract allowed us to use pricing that was already in place for this type of project, without having to go through a lengthy RFP process,” says Tim Dean, director of the convocation center. Irwin representatives worked closely with the university to develop a detailed plan, and the project was phased in over a three-year timeframe.

“Our arena functions 365 days a year, so the installation was bound to have its challenges,” Dean explains. “We experienced a few date overruns, but Irwin successfully completed the last phase in the summer of 2015, ahead of schedule. As for costs, we came in right on budget.”

ASU spent approximately $3.875 million, with an estimated savings of $100,000 through the E&I contract. According to Dean, “I would definitely recommend E&I’s Irwin Seating contract to other institutions. Whenever we can find ways to work together to maximize our time and cost savings, everyone is a winner.”

www.eandi.org

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Quadient Achieves 25,000 Locker Installations Worldwide

    Global automation platform Quadient recently announced that it has acquired Package Concierge, a U.S.-based parcel management solutions provider, according to a news release. The acquisition pushes Quadient over the 25,000-unit milestone of global installations.

  • Illinois Elementary School Breaks Ground on Campus Expansion

    Heather Hill Elementary School, part of Flossmoor School District 161 in Palatine, Ill., recently broke ground on a new addition to the school focused on student support and security, according to a news release. The district partnered with Wold Architects & Engineers for the expansion as part of a longer-term facility planning and modernization initiative.

  • KnowBe4 Releases Report on Education Sector’s Preparedness for Cyberattacks

    Cybersecurity platform KnowBe4 recently released a new research report titled “From Primary Schools to Universities, The Global Education Sector is Unprepared for Escalating Cyber Attacks,” according to a news release.

  • College of the Desert Starts Construction on New Campus Location

    College of the Desert recently announced that it has broken ground on its new Palm Springs campus in Palm Springs, Calif., according to a news release. The multiple-building campus consists of 175,000 square feet of new construction and will cost an estimated $268 million.