Vendor Spotlight

Robert Half is the world’s first and largest specialized talent solutions and business consulting firm. The company’s service is two-fold: to positively change people’s lives by finding them rewarding work, and assisting businesses in locating the talent they need to succeed.

Since the beginning of 2022, Robert Half has served dozens of CP members across the United States.

Melinda Alison, Vice President of Robert Half, praises the opportunities that Choice Partners has given the company.

“It allows us to provide our specialized services to public sector clients that previously told us we’d have to engage in an RFP process to be considered a viable vendor,” she said. “It also allows us to provide these members consistent, discounted pricing through this negotiated contract.”

Robert Half has more than 320 staffing locations worldwide, including 85 locations in 17 countries outside the United States, serving the fields of finance and accounting, technology, administrative and customer support, legal, and marketing and creative.

Robert Half is known for its efficient structure in communication with its customers, whether new hires or businesses. The company’s reliability – to the contentedness of its customers – was founded on these aspects:

Values, reputation, culture, commitment: The company’s motto, Ethics First, guides its relationships.

Size, scale, scope: It is the world’s first and largest specialized talent solutions firm with access to millions of pre-evaluated, skilled professionals. These highly skilled candidates come to Robert Half not only because of the abundant job opportunities, but also because of its strong name recognition, long and respected history in the staffing industry and strong community ties.

Proven, proprietary processes to deliver a successful fit: It's approach, technology and methods are constantly improving to provide the best talent solutions results.

Personal touch in a digital world: Robert Half simplifies the hiring process by combining the best technology with one-to-one, personal service.

Industry specialists who understand clients’ businesses: Robert Half’s professionals bring specific expertise in each field it serves to meet specialized needs.

Full spectrum of talent and consulting services: It is the only talent solutions firm that also offers a full spectrum of consulting services through in-house access to the proven methodologies of Protiviti (a subsidiary of Robert Half). Further, Protiviti brings its clients the flexible resource capabilities of Robert Half’s talent-solutions operations.

“This is an incredible, collaborative partnership,” Alison said. “We are so honored to partner with the CP team and its members.”

To learn more about Robert Half, visit https://www.roberthalf.com/, or contact Melinda Alison, vice president, at Melinda.alison@roberthalf.com.

CDW Government (CDW) is a leading multi-brand provider of information technology solutions to over 250,000 business, government, education and healthcare customers in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada.

A Fortune 500 company and member of the S&P 500 Index, CDW was founded in 1984 and employs approximately 15,000 coworkers.

The company’s motto states “We get IT,” as they offer a broad array of products and services ranging from hardware and software to integrated IT solutions such as security, cloud, hybrid infrastructure and digital experience.

           

CDW has worked with more than 57 CP members. According to Michael Swartz, sales manager, both old and new members have access to CDW’s entire catalog of hardware, software, and services through the Choice Partners cooperative contract.

“CDW has a dynamic team that supports a customer’s needs from step one, the quote, to the last steps of contract reporting and compliance,” Swartz said. “Working with Choice Partners has helped CDW offer a great cooperative that meets the diverse purchasing needs of our clients across public sector verticals.”

To learn more about CDW Government, visit www.cdw.com, or contact Michael Swartz at 866-224-6471 or michswa@cdwg.com.

 

Atlas Universal is a company dedicated to “providing its customers with superior quality workmanship and personalized attention to every detail throughout the entire duration of each roofing project,” according to its mission statement.

The company is a third-generation family business that has been around for over 130 years, located deep in the heart of Houston, Texas. It provides roofing services throughout Texas and Louisiana, with a wide variety of customers ranging from commercial real estate and government entities to school districts and medical facilities.

Atlas Universal is recognized by many major roofing manufacturers, including Johns Manville, Firestone, Soprema and Tremco. The company prides itself on exemplary service, being an expert in waterproofing, roof surveys, sheet metal services and all types of roof installations.

“At Atlas Universal, we believe, as with anything: if you do an amazing job from start-to-finish, you will leave your customer content, which in turn brings continued business,” said Justin Schoeneman, president of Atlas Universal.

Atlas Universal currently services an upwards of 50 Choice Partners (CP) members and has been an awarded vendor with CP for many years.

“Choice Partners simplified facilitating this process by ensuring the customer uses a quality contractor, thus helping Atlas Universal expand and grow throughout the years,” Schoeneman said. “With all the repeated business we have through Choice Partners, we believe that shows that customers are content.”

For more information about Atlas Universal, visit www.atlasuniversal.com, or contact Justin Schoeneman at justincs@atlasuniversal.com.

Amazon Business sets out every day to innovate and disrupt the status quo. They stand at the intersection of tech and retail in the B2B space developing innovative purchasing and procurement solutions to help businesses and organizations reimagine buying.

The Amazon Business team is dedicated to developing solutions inclusive of an expanded online store that combines the selection, convenience, and value, which customers have come to know and love from Amazon. Amazon Business provides new features and unique benefits tailored to business customers in the public sector.

Choice Partners national purchasing cooperative offers procurement and contract solutions to meet government purchasing requirements. As of Aug. 17, 2022, Amazon Business was awarded a competitively solicited contract, which offers state-level and agency-level public sector organizations a compliant contract vehicle.

By utilizing the Choice Partners contract, public sector organizations can reduce the need for multiple quotes, and in many cases eliminate a lengthy request for proposal process. When members create an Amazon Business account and purchase through the Choice Partners contract, they create an avenue for their organization that allows for a purchasing process with the efficiency and speed for which Amazon is known.

Categories of products that members can use include (but not limited to):

• Agriculture
• Apparel
• Art, Classroom
• Athletic
• Books
• CTE/Vocational Teaching Materials
• Food Service
• Health/Medical
• Musical Instruments
• Office
• Technology

 Amazon’s mission is to be Earth's most customer-centric company and with a free Amazon Business account, customers can streamline their procurement, allowing districts, governmental entities, higher education centers and not-for-profit entities to use Amazon’s familiar interface.

Customers can also enjoy business-only pricing across 11 categories with quantity price breaks reserved for Amazon Business accounts. Additionally, public sector customers can take advantage of the Amazon Tax Exemption Program (ATEP).

If you would like to know more about the Choice Partners Amazon Business contract, send all inquiries to the dedicated CP email at choicepartners-publicsector@amazon.com.

You can also contact CP contract manager Monique Joseph-Francis, RTSBA at 713-316-4259 or monique@choicepartners.org.

HopSkipDrive is a leader in innovative, safe and scalable school transportation solutions. Using a proprietary platform, RideIQ, the company optimizes transportation plans and operations while staying one step ahead of new transportation technologies including electrification.

 

The partners of HopSkipDrive have a deep appreciation for the safe, cost-effective and efficient school transportation solution that enables visibility and transparency for ride organizers and caregivers through innovative technology.

 

Every HopSkipDrive CareDriver has passed background and vehicle safety checks, has a minimum of five years of caregiving experience and goes through a 15-point certification process before accessing the platform. The flexible, dynamic CareDriver network can be readily scaled up or down to meet school demand.

           

HopSkipDrive holds a firm belief that “safety is everything,” and have industry-leading safety practices in place. Albert Samora, executive director of transportation for Denver Public Schools, said his organization heavily relies on HopSkipDrive services to aid with bus driver shortage.

“HopSkipDrive has been a necessary and invaluable school transportation partner to Denver Public Schools,” he said. “Bus driver shortages have been challenging to our transportation department, but HopSkipDrive's introduction of a flexible driver supply and easy-to-use technology has helped us free up assets and optimize our transportation.”

 

Miriam Ravkin, senior vice president of marketing, underlines the importance of Choice Partners (CP) co-op procurement process as it greatly reduces the time needed for members to access awarded contracts, where time is key in gathering new drivers.

 

“The Choice Partners co-op offers a shortened procurement process for our potential customers with members able to bypass a three-to-six-month RFP process,” she said. “This is especially important with the current state of transportation, where districts often need to supplement their fleets quickly (due to COVID, bus driver shortages and more) with third-party vendors like HopSkipDrive.”

HopSkipDrive currently services CP members from Washington, Colorado and Texas, expecting that number to rise for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. For more information about HopSkipDrive, go to www.hopskipdrive.com/school. You may also contact Jared Clark at 949-520-0846 or jclark@hopskipdrive.com.

Building on previous business relationships is easy and legal when popular, high-quality JOC vendors become Choice Partners awarded vendors.

Members who have a favorite construction or maintenance trades vendor they want to use should encourage that vendor to register to become a bidder with Choice Partners national cooperative so they can compete for a government-awarded contract. (Learn how to become a vendor) 

Bidders for the Competitive Sealed Proposal for JOC-Construction Trades may use any of three unit price books: Xactimate (which is used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Insurance adjustors); RSMeans; or Craftsman National Construction Estimator, and Sierra West for California work, all of which offer a digital option. The CSP is applicable for any division of the CSI Master Format system, which are listed below.

We are asking vendors to provide a coefficient for a maximum of one division covering the type of service they are offering to governmental entities.

The Choice Partners administrative fee for our vendors is lower than most of our co-op competitors, which usually translates to lower prices for our members.

This contract will be legally procured under Government Code 2269.

Applicable Divisions:

02           Existing Conditions

03           Concrete

04           Masonry

05           Metals

06           Wood, Plastics, and Composites

07           Thermal and Moisture Protection

08           Openings

09           Finishes

10           Specialties

11           Equipment

12           Furnishings

13           Special Construction

14           Conveying Equipment

21           Fire Suppression

22           Plumbing

23           Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC)

26           Electrical

27           Communications

28           Electronic Safety and Security

31           Earthwork

32           Exterior Improvements

33           Utilities

34           Transportation

35           Waterway and Marine Construction

41           Material Processing and Handling Equipment

44           Pollution and Waste Control Equipment

46           Water and Wastewater Equipment

48           Electrical Power Generation