Letter from the President

“Dollars and Sense” 

In this issue of our newsletter, we have featured great cost savings ideas from our experienced procurement team. Indeed, these are certainly times to look at every expenditure, and certainly times we are all reminded that “Purchasing” is a verb! I stress to all our clients to hire Benjamin West as early in the process as possible. In almost every case, it will not cost the owner any more to get us involved early, and the results we can produce, when engaged at the same time as the ID firm, are priceless. In these times, it’s best to look beyond the lowest “spreadsheet cost” for both all FF&E

and OS&E products, as well as your entire project team’s fees. Talk to us about how we analyze the total cost over the life of the installation. Benjamin West provides the only owner focused, fully transparent and full fiduciary FF&E process, from purchasing to accounting to project close out in the hospitality industry. If you have the capital, this is a “historically low” time to renovate, from product costs, to transportation costs, to labor costs. Let us know how we can be an integral part of your CapEx team.

In these unprecedented economic times, now more than ever, clients want to find savings in their FF&E and OS&E budgets without sacrificing design or quality. Following are some money saving tips that we have implemented that have proven to be successful for many of our projects.

• Drapery – Engage a drapery fabricator for a review of the existing drapery conditions. In some instances, guestroom drapery track is in good condition and can be reused. A replacement in components and carriers can result in a savings of approximately 30% over completely new hardware. This should be identified early prior to construction as in doing this, care needs to be taken during the demolition process and there should be an allowance carried in the budget in the event some tracks are deemed unusable.
• Faux vs. Real Leather – While real leather has its advantages in perception of value and ability to be repaired, the real disadvantage is cost. With the increasing availability of good looking faux products on the market, this is becoming a more desirable option. A typical leather cost of $8‐12 sft plus increased overage and waste due to hide sizes. For every 1 yard of faux, this equals 18 sft of leather‐ to put this in perspective the cost of leather can fall in the range of $180/ yd. A high quality man made alternative (available in a wide ranges of patterns and colors) can price out in the $18‐$30 yd range. In many cases faux leathers can meet or exceed the durability of leather. Application considerations of faux leather are guestroom headboards (clean ability is a plus), guestroom upholstered seating, barstools, banquettes and restaurant seating.
• Guestroom Artwork – Much of the artwork that we purchase for guestrooms is “Giclee” or Print on Demand. An effective savings technique for these is to look at alternative paper options. There are various levels of good quality paper – be open to options from the artwork vendor. In addition, there are many options to resize or crop images to afford standard glass sizes. By doing this, savings are achieved by not paying for additional material and labor to cut down the glass.
• Plug‐in Lighting – When looking at updating the plug in lighting in guestrooms, if the fixture body is in good condition consider simply updating the shade and perhaps the finial. You can anticipate saving more than 60% per item with this measure while still updating the look.
• Bed Frames/Bed Base – Consider retaining bed bases and frames if the hotel is going thru a refurbishment. If these are inspected and found to be stable and in good condition these can be retained thru multiple renovations.
• Consider your Port of Entry – If your project has a few extra weeks to spare, consider looking at shipping to a closer port to the property. For example if the property is in Atlanta, you can ship into that port rather than delivering to Long Beach, CA and shipping cross country. This measure can save approximately $4,500 per container and is a very green solution too! This measure is best utilized for guestroom quantities coming from overseas.
• Materials – Consider alternates when looking at fabrics and carpet. For fabrics, consider utilizing a printed fabric rather than a woven. You can achieve a similar look, particularly with drapery fabric, at a much lower cost. For public space carpet, especially corridors, be aware of brand standards. If it is possible to utilize CYP (Computerized Yarn Placement) rather than axminster you can save between $6‐$10 per sq yard. Another consideration may be printed carpet tile rather than axminster in large public areas like ballrooms.
• Decorative Lighting – Consider alternate materials, these ideas are especially effective in seeing the savings add up on large high priced decorative chandeliers. For example, the use of acrylics over glass can yield a savings of approx 30‐40% depending upon specification. While considering a painted finish, over a plated finish can result in a savings consideration of 20‐25% to the bottom line. Since these chandeliers are hanging at heights where such slight detail can be viewed from distance, the difference is less aesthetic and more affordable.
• Purchasing – Involve your purchaser early in the process, if involved early in the process we can better steer towards budget and design goals. For example we can recommend alternate vendors for design to work with early to bring forth more ideas and get better pricing.

With a little creativity, teamwork and being open to options, there are many ways to find savings in a budget in a variety of areas.

Written by: Kathryn Pol, Garland Stiles & Katherine Sprague

Featured Employee
of the Month

Scott Hager—Project Manager, OS&E

Scott started at Benjamin West in 2007 as a project manager for the Benjamin West OS&E (Operating Supplies and Equipment) department. Mr. Hager has worked in the hospitality industry for 20 years and is a great asset to the Benjamin West team. He brings with him experiences in Director Positions for Hyatt Hotels, as well as various high‐end convention center, resort and spa facilities all over the United States.

From April of 2008 through May of 2009, Mr. Hager left Benjamin West to answer his call of duty with the United States Army Reserves as the Battle NCO with the 3d Sustainment Command Expeditionary out of Ft. Knox, KY. His duties in Iraq centered around the logistical support of the soldiers (supplies, water, food, fuel and ammunition) and briefing a Brigadier General on any significant activities that occurred to our combat support convoys.

While over seas, Mr. Hager nominated Benjamin West for the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. This prestigious award, also known as “The Freedom Award” is the U.S. Governmentʹs highest recognition given to American employers of National Guard or Reserve members for their exceptional support above the requirements of federal law. Benjamin West’s nomination for this award demonstrates appreciation for the exceptional leadership, support and personal devotion the company provides to the National Guard and Reserve. To view the full letter please follow this link www.benjaminwest.com

On behalf of Benjamin West we would like to recognize Mr. Hager for his devotion and time in serving our country at the greatest time of need!

In efforts to lead our industry in Green practices, Benjamin West participated in the following on Earth Day!

• Lights Off:
  • Wherever possible, we used natural light.
• No Print Day:
  • On many occasions, we can use Adobe to view files instead of printing them. Documents can easily be scanned and combined through Adobe INSTEAD OF PRINTING and combing. Wherever possible we did not print documents and we reviewed PDFs instead.
• Zero Waste Lunch:
  • Everyone was encouraged to bring in a zero waste lunch. Use reusable containers; don’t use the microwave; use cloth napkins and reusable silverware. Can you go through the day without throwing anything in the trash, except ingredients that would be used for compost?
• Carpool or Ride the Bus or Train:
  • We asked staff, “If you can, please consider this option.”
• Non‐Powered Fun:
  • We asked staff to consider: Do not watch TV for the day. Instead, read a book by natural light; do a craft; go for a walk or bicycle ride; get to know others by asking questions about fun memories and funny stories; play a board or card game. Consider making this a weekly event in your household.

EcoFriendlyIdeas.net: For other ideas, check out this site – it has some great ideas I’ve not heard.

These are ideas we can use long‐term. Also, it did not cost our company any money to do these simple efforts; if anything, we saved money. Earth Day was a great opportunity to increase awareness and develop some new, good habits.

Other steps we have taken: See the website Green page. www.benjaminwest.com

Written by: Diane Cudworth—Director of Quality Assurance