One of the Classiest Procurement Gestures I've Seen

Yesterday morning, as I was reading the business section of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, a full-page ad caught my eye. Full-page ads are pretty rare (undoubtedly due to the high cost) and are usually placed by one of the city's largest employers for the purpose of congratulating one of our championship sports teams.

Full-page ad? I had to read it, right?

Well, I was surprised when I did. For it was not from one of the city's household name businesses. And it wasn't about a sports team. Or even a sales message.

It was this...



...a letter from the CEO of Keating Building Corporation, the general contractor who is building the new Pittsburgh casino. This letter congratulated and thanked their suppliers.

You don't see that every day!

If the type in the photo is too small, here is what the page said:

Congratulations to Our First-Class Contractors, Sub-Contractors and Vendors on Building Pittsburgh's New World-Class Casino!

An Open Letter To the People of Pittsburgh:

I personally want to thank and congratulate the good citizens of Pittsburgh and all of the contractors, sub-contractors, and vendors who worked on the magnificent new Rivers Casino. Their names are listed below.

This new world-class, $300 million gaming and entertainment landmark in downtown Pittsburgh will soon be finished, on time and on budget. This monumental accomplishment is a testament to the skill and dedication of our workforce partners and vendors who never lost faith, despite the project's early struggles.

Working together with a single-minded focus, our contractors, sub-contractors, and vendors made Rivers Casino a stunning reality. All of you should feel an enormous sense of pride in a job well done. Soon, the good people of Pittsburgh will get to see and experience this beautiful new addition to the Pittsburgh skyline.

Keating Building Corporation, all our staff, and I thank you for your help and support. It has been an honor to work with you.

The letter was signed by the CEO and listed nearly 100 suppliers. I was touched by this as it is one of the classiest procurement gestures I've ever seen. It is an impressive investment in supplier relationships.

I am going to attempt to contact Keating and offer them an opportunity to appear on a future installment in our podcast series. I would love to hear and share the benefit they see to such a commitment to positive supplier relationships.

To Your Career,
Charles Dominick, SPSM
President & Chief Procurement Officer
Next Level Purchasing, Inc.
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