Purchasing Professional

PROFILE

ISM -certified purchasing professional with 25 years of expertise in procurement and proficiency with four ERP/MRP systems; experienced with sourcing custom-engineered equipment (ASME-coded vessels, skids, piping, instrumentation, valves, pumps and fittings), supply and logistics management, facilities maintenance services/commodities, MRO, ground support equipment/automotive-parts, construction projects, capital equipment, consulting services, IT software/hardware, office furniture/supplies, food & beverage, med-surgical/rehab equipment and pharmaceuticals. My approach to purchasing entails providing excellent customer service, early end-user/stakeholder engagement, total cost of ownership evaluation and leadership by example, with a focus is on adding value, reducing cost and achieving win/win results with suppliers.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

MERICHEM COMPANY, Schaumburg, IL & Houston, TX 10/11-Present

Procurement-Petrochemical & Engineering Related

Purchase custom-fabricated vessels, piping, pumps, filtration, valves, instrumentation, PLC and stainless/carbon steel for natural gas purification systems. Work closely with engineering staff in employing the use of P&ID’s, Process Flow Diagrams, BED sheets and detailed drawings in obtaining competitive quotations. Oversee the division’s spare parts quotation, sales and in/outbound logistics activities for Merichem customers worldwide.

Established Contribution to Profit savings system for the Schaumburg division. 15-20% overall savings achieved for fiscal years 2013, 2014 and YTD 2015 on all requirements bid and/or negotiated.

Developed MS Access procurement database to capture approved suppliers, grandfathered suppliers, vendor approval criteria, supplier kpi’s, purchasing activity, cost reductions/avoidances and bid evaluations.

Led procurement ISO 9001 2008 task team to implement vendor performance tracking and an effective supplier corrective action/root cause analysis process.

Assist Applications Engineering and Sales Staff in developing both budgetary and firm price proposals for prospective customers.

Doubled spare parts sales revenue by providing timely/accurate proposals and excellent customer service, resulting in high customer satisfaction ratings; manage spare parts inventory to ensure optimal levels of supply.

Draft/develop detailed work instructions concerning procurement policy, supply logistics planning and risk mitigation procedures.

Supervise 2 junior buyers.

NICOR NATIONAL, Naperville, IL 04/10-10/11

Strategic Buyer-HVAC/Plumbing/Electrical

Procured all direct/indirect commodities and services including plumbing/electrical supplies, HVAC equipment, automotive parts, IT software/hardware, telecommunications, landscaping, janitorial services, snow removal and facilities maintenance.

Consolidated maverick spend under blanket purchase order and contract with bid/negotiated pricing terms.

Identified and eliminated unnecessary spend through end-under support and collaboration.

Optimized the vendor base to achieve more competitive pricing and payment terms.

Saved 15-18% on commodities and services bid.

Developed alternative suppliers for critical need/fast track items.

HEALTHCARE INFORMATION SERVICES, Park Ridge, IL 03/09-02/10

Buyer-Medical, Pharmaceutical, Surgical & Rehab

Sourced all pharmaceutical, med-surgical, rehab, capital and operational supplies/services for the 16 Illinois Bone and Joint Institute offices throughout the Chicago area.

Reduced overall office supply and medical forms expense by 20% through bidding and negotiation.

Saved 17% on credit card merchant services costs through the competitive review process.

Negotiated savings of 12-20% on pharmaceutical expenses through cooperative GPO affiliations and generic evaluation/substitution.

Lowered electrical utility expense through competitive evaluation and supplier consolidation.

CITY OF NAPERVILLE, Naperville, IL 03/08–01/09

Procurement Specialist-IT, Wastewater, Water Treatment, Plumbing

Purchased all IT hardware, software and licensing agreements required for the city, sourced Water & Wastewater Department consulting/maintenance services and major construction projects, including a $12.5 Million waste water treatment facility.

Received the city’s “Shining Star” award for exemplary customer service.

Achieved savings of 15-20% on requirements competitively bid/negotiated.

Gained experience in public sector procurement procedures including the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), public bid opening processes and multi-step RFP issuance, organized department contracts, blanket purchase orders and individual purchase orders in a database format allowing for multiple search/sort capabilities.

UNITED AIRLINES, Elk Grove Township, IL 10/84- 3/08

Various Procurement Responsibilities & Achievements for this period are detailed below.

Purchasing Agent (2005 – 2008)-Aircraft Cabin Grooming, Onboard Catering, Janitorial & Security Services

Performed system strategic sourcing activities covering onboard catering, aircraft cabin grooming, airport janitorial and security services.

Obtained overall savings of 20% on food and catering requirements bid using TCO/value analysis processes.

Served as subject matter expert (SME) for Six Sigma/lean initiatives.

Managed annual spend of $241 Million in system agreements covering North & South American/Canadian onboard catering and security services agreements; maintained system price databases for these services.

Received the UAL Award of Merit as well as several “Effort Awards” for exemplary job performance.

Senior Staff Buyer (2002 – 2005)-Aircraft Cabin Grooming, Janitorial and Security Services

Bid/negotiated $43 Million in system agreements covering janitorial and aircraft cabin grooming services at 31 airport locations throughout the U.S.

Achieved overall savings of 15%.

Standardized RFP/contract service specifications and bid pricing sheets to eliminate variance and promote consistent levels of service resulting in improved “MarketTrac” passenger evaluations and station invoice reconciliation processes.

Supervised, trained and mentored 5 junior buyers; conducted Purchasing training sessions for corporate as well as airport staff.

Senior Buyer (1994 – 2002)-Automotive, Ground Support Equipment Parts and Facilities Maintenance

Managed field purchasing activities for 17 airport locations on the East Coast. Bid, negotiated and administered 850+ blanket purchase orders and service contracts for these locations.

Sourced $30 Million in local airport facilities, medical department and ground equipment-related commodities and services, obtained average savings of 10-15% on commodities/services bid.

Reduced overall vendor base by 35% to achieve economies of scale and improve ongoing contract administration processes, increased MBE/WBE spend by 25%.

Buyer (1989 – 1994)-Automotive, Ground Support Equipment Parts and Facilities Maintenance

Organized United’s Metro-New York Field Purchasing office from its inception, initiated cooperative purchasing/end-user relations and communication avenues for the new department.

Created bid schedule for all previously un-bid airport requirements designed to maximize savings and minimize time to achieve; negotiated savings of 10-20% on all facilities and ground equipment-related commodities/services.

EDUCATION

Kean University, Union, New Jersey

Bachelor of Arts - History, (Dean’s List, Cum Laude Graduate)

Phi Alpha Theta International Honor Society – Life Member

ADDITIONAL SKILLS, EDUCATION, CERTIFICATIONS, ETC.

Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM), Certificate #1779

Expert user of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access), the IBM Ketera, HTE Sunguard, McKesson Medical and Oracle ERP/MRP systems

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