E&I Cooperative Services Presents 10th Annual Business Partners Award

Jericho, N.Y. – E&I Cooperative Services (E&I) presented their annual Business Partner Awards during the National Association of Educational Procurement (NAEP) Annual Meeting held in Orlando, Fla., on Apr. 10. These awards, now in their tenth consecutive year, are presented annually to business partners who demonstrate extraordinary dedication and commitment to the membership community.

Nominees were identified by a team of E&I representatives and were evaluated based on criteria including: contract utilization, member purchases, dedication to new member acquisition, programs and level of service provided to members, and member satisfaction. The winners were as follows:

  • The Foundation Partner Award was presented to PPG Paints in recognition of their diligence in building and maintaining a strong, dependable relationship with E&I for over 10 years.
  • The Best in Class Sales Support Award was presented to Concur, whose sales force has demonstrated an outstanding level of engagement with the Cooperative’s membership and with E&I representatives.
  • The Best in Class Member Responsiveness Award was presented to B&H Photo Video in recognition of their outstanding commitment to customer service and support.
  • Steelcase, Inc. was honored as this year’s Partner of the Year in recognition of their strong business growth, customer & product service, responsiveness, and assistance. Steelcase has excelled in providing expertise and solutions to procurement professionals and has worked with E&I on new member recruitment initiatives and other acts of excellence.

“Our ultimate goal is to provide our members with value beyond lower costs,” said Tom Fitzgerald, CEO of E&I. “These business partners have shown outstanding commitment to their E&I contracts and a proactive approach to our membership. They help E&I to achieve our goal, and—in the end—that is what distinguishes us as a top-rate purchasing cooperative.” To learn more, visit www.eandi.org.

About E&I Cooperative Services
E&I is the only member-owned, not-for-profit purchasing cooperative solely focused on serving education and related facilities. E&I delivers expertise, solutions, and services through a diverse portfolio of competitively awarded contracts and consulting services. By leveraging the knowledge and purchasing power of its nationwide membership, E&I helps higher education and K-12 institutions reduce costs, optimize supply chain efficiencies, and save time on the RFP process. The Cooperative’s member-driven competitive solicitation process has been validated by the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP) as complying with generally accepted procurement standards.

Featured

  • Architectural Power for the Modern Campus Landscape

    For generations, an outdoor classroom only required a textbook and a patch of grass. Today, not only has the laptop replaced the printed pages, the rise of agile learning has turned campuses into study halls with students listening to lectures and researching topics from quads, gardens, and plazas. The challenge for architects and facility managers is to provide connectivity without cluttering the landscape with visual eyesores or creating safety hazards with extension cords.

  • S4L Announces 2026 Education Design Showcase Winners

    Spaces4Learning is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2026 Education Design Showcase! Now in its 27th year, the annual awards program honors innovative solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction across K–12 and higher education.

  • Full Sail University Announces First Student Housing Facility

    Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fla., recently announced that development has begun on its first student housing community, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Nvision Development for construction and long-term management of the facility, which will stand five stories and have the capacity for more than 570 beds.

  • Minnesota District Starts Construction on Early Childhood Learning Center

    Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools in Sauk Rapids, Minn., recently announced that construction has begun on a new early childhood learning center and a new outdoor activities complex, according to a news release.