Everton appoints US-based procurement expert for new stadium
Everton FC has appointed US-based global sports procurement agents The Parker Company to manage the sourcing and delivery of furniture, fittings and equipment (FF&E) for its new waterfront stadium.
After coming through a lengthy procurement process Miami-based The Parker Company began its work for the club by hosting a special ‘Meet the Buyer’ event in central Liverpool this week.
With thousands of individual items that will need to be specified, designed, sourced, shipped and installed, the event, coordinated by Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, allowed local and national businesses to get an understanding of the development as well as hear from Everton’s procurement team, which outlined its strategy and requirements prior to businesses expressing their interest in the procurement for goods to The Parker Company.
Items that will need to be sourced cover everything from gym and medical equipment for the players’ changing rooms, sensory equipment and lighting for the sensory rooms, as well seating, tables and banquettes that will form part of Everton’s ‘ALL’ bars, restaurants and experiences.
For more than 50 years, The Parker Company, with offices in London, Zurich and Dubai, has managed the buying needs of hundreds of projects each year, ranging from hotels to stadia, cruise ships to office blocks.
Its projects include locations such as the Las Vegas Raiders ‘Allegiant Stadium’, LA Rams & Chargers ‘SoFi Stadium’, the new Heston Training Centre for QPR and the Riverside Stand for Fulham FC.
Doug Parker, CEO of The Parker Company, said: “This is one of the biggest stadium projects in Europe, if not the world, and managing the detail and delivery of this procurement programme is a complex operation.
“Our aim is to combine our global supply chain with local manufacturers to ensure that this project gets best value for money, while sharing as much opportunity as possible with companies in Liverpool and the North West and beyond.”
Local sourcing is just one part of a three-pronged procurement strategy developed by The Parker Company and the club.
Colin Chong, Everton’s interim chief executive, said: “Alongside local sourcing and ensuring value for money, we also aim to meet and exceed our sustainability and environmental targets.
“While we are working on a global scale, ‘Everton Stadium’ is recognised as a transformational project for the North of England. Therefore, wherever possible we engage with local suppliers and manufacturers and play our part in boosting the UK’s economy.”
The range of The Parker Company’s scope is widely varied. Tom Roche, UK director for The Parker Company, said: “Traditionally FF&E has only covered items such as chairs, tables, mirrors and coffee machines but if you imagine turning a modern stadium upside down and shaking it, all the many and varied things that would fall out go far beyond this.
“Our Meet the Buyer events and our vast supply network helps us procure these thousands of loose items, including things like the groundskeeper’s tools and mowers, the security guard’s bodycams, premium furniture, artwork and even applied graphics.”
