Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

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

  • FGCU Breaks Ground on New Health Sciences Building

    Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) has launched construction on a major new academic facility that leaders say will reshape healthcare education in Southwest Florida for decades to come, according to university news.

  • Planning with Clarity: Using AI to Make Better Campus Decisions, Not Just Better Designs

    Higher education leaders are being asked to make increasingly high-stakes decisions about campus facilities amid greater uncertainty than ever before. Social and economic pressures, shifting enrollment, and evolving learning models compete with growing deferred maintenance needs to strain even the most robust infrastructure budgets.

  • University of Kansas Breaks Ground on Entrepreneurship Hub

    The University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kan., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new KU Entrepreneurship Hub, according to university news. The Hub is part of the university’s School of Business and will include spaces for experiential learning and programming.

  • Universities Continue to Launch Multimillion-Dollar Campus Transformations

    What makes the current wave of campus development especially noteworthy is its emphasis on multi-use functionality and community integration. Institutions are no longer investing solely in academic or athletic facilities in isolation. Instead, they are creating destinations that blend recreation, health, housing, and event-driven economic activity.