Indiana Based Government Cooperative Purchasing Program Wins National Contract

January 28, 2011 

Indianapolis - The Association of Indiana Counties (AIC) is proud to announce that an Indiana based government purchasing cooperative established more than 30 years ago has won a contract to provide office supplies to local government units nationwide. Independent Stationers has been providing savings to local governments since 1977 and the new contract with U.S. Communities Government Purchasing Alliance^TM will strengthen that cooperative even more while providing greater benefits to the citizens of Indiana.

AIC Executive Director David Bottorff said for Indiana and local governments, it is good on two fronts.  

"Independent Stationers is headquartered in Indiana and its membership is made up of locally, independently owned office supply distributors from across the country," said Bottorff. "The cooperative purchasing program allows independent companies to compete in discount pricing against the national chains that have dominated such purchasing programs in the past."

Independent Stationers is a cooperative that consists of hundreds of local suppliers of office products while offering a single, nationwide solution. The independent, dealer-owned cooperative boasts more than 250 dealers and 500 locations nationwide.

Bottorff said the cooperative provides customer service that only a local supplier can bring, along with the competitive pricing that allows business transactions to stay within Indiana communities.

"Local units of government and local officials can purchase office supplies through an online buying program that offers easy ordering, detailed reports and pricing transparency," said Bottorff. "In a time when Indiana government budgets are on the decline, it's more important than ever to take advantage of cooperative purchasing. And it's a bonus when such programs give back to Indiana citizens in the form of jobs and tax revenue." 

For more information or to register for the cooperative purchasing program, visit http://uscommunities.isgroup.org/.

To view more videos produced by the Association of Indiana Counties visit our You Tube page at www.youtube.com/aoinco.

News Media Contact: Karen Avery, AIC Director of Communications, kavery@indianacounties.org / (317) 829-3656.

The Association of Indiana Counties, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that was established in 1957 for the betterment of county government.  The various functions of the AIC include lobbying the Indiana General Assembly on behalf of counties, serving as liaison among counties, state and federal agencies as well as providing technical assistance and training to county officials and employees.

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