Press Releases Archives - E&I Cooperative Services

E&I Announces New Vision & Strategy

Cooperative focuses on delivering solutions to help higher ed institutions accelerate economic recovery November 23, 2020 – E&I Cooperative Services (E&I) – the only member-owned, non-profit cooperative focused exclusively on education – has announced a bold new vision to rapidly increase the value delivered to educational institutions. The Cooperative’s strategy includes an aggressive hiring initiative. “Pandemic-related budget cuts, tuition decreases, and declining enrollments are placing significant economic strain on our member institutions,” said Eric Frank,...

E&I Distributes $2.3 Million to Members in the Form of Patronage Refunds

Higher Education and K-12 institutions benefit from extra dollars in a time of budget constraints September 9, 2020 – E&I Cooperative Services (E&I) is returning more than $2.3 million to members in the form of patronage refunds. As a member-owned, non-profit purchasing cooperative, E&I distributes a percentage of its net income at the end of each year to its member institutions. Each member’s annual purchasing activity is used to calculate the amount of their patronage...

E&I Launches PPE Marketplace

Marketplace to serve as one-stop-shop for E&I member institutions to source PPE September 2, 2020 – E&I Cooperative Services (E&I) has launched its online PPE Marketplace. This one-stop-shop allows E&I member institutions in higher ed and K-12 to pre-order a variety of PPE products, including masks, gloves, gowns, face shields, hand wipes, sanitizer, and more. The PPE Marketplace also includes critical services such as COVID-19 testing and contact tracing. “Our members face an ongoing challenge...

E&I Cooperative Services Joins e-Literate’s Empirical Educator Project

Collaboration will Support COVID-Related Procurement for Education July 30, 2020 –E&I Cooperative Services (E&I), the only member-owned, non-profit sourcing cooperative focused solely on education, has formed a strategic partnership with e-Literate, an organization dedicated to helping higher education enable more students to succeed. E&I will be contributing its Recovery Solutions Navigator to e-Literate’s Empirical Educator Project (EEP) as a resilience network procurement solution. E&I’s Recovery Solutions Navigator is a comprehensive tool aimed at helping institutions easily...

E&I Names New Members to National Coalition on Enterprise Systems & Services

Coalition Brings Together Higher Education Technology Leaders to Effect Positive Industry Change July 7, 2020 – E&I Cooperative Services (E&I) has named two new members to its National Coalition on Enterprise Systems & Services. Joining the Coalition are Jennifer Adling, Chief Procurement Officer, Texas Tech University and Mary Dukakis, Vice President, Facilities & Operational Services, Southern New Hampshire University. These two new members will help drive the mission and strategic direction of the now 21-member Coalition. According to...

E&I Awards Contract to Bottom Line Concepts

Agreement will help E&I members reduce utility costs May 12, 2020 – E&I Cooperative Services (E&I) and Bottom Line Concepts (BLC) have signed a contract that will help drive cost savings for E&I members on electric and gas expenses. E&I members in higher education and K-12 can now take advantage of BLC’s consultative approach to significantly reduce their spend on utility bills. “In a time when educational institutions are experiencing an enormous strain on their...

E&I Welcomes New CEO, Presents 2019 Financial Results During Annual Stockholders’ Meeting

Member Awards & Board Election Results Also Announced April 15, 2020 – E&I Cooperative Services (E&I) held its annual Stockholders’ Meeting via virtual conference on April 6, 2020. Year-end financial results for the Cooperative were presented along with E&I’s member awards and winners of this year’s Board of Directors election. The Cooperative also welcomed new CEO Eric Frank. The meeting opened with words from retiring E&I CEO Tom Fitzgerald. Barry Swanson, Board President and Chief...

E&I Cooperative Services Announces 12th Annual Business Partner Awards

Medline, CDW-G, B&H Photo Video, and Humanscale Honored for Exceptional Contributions April 14, 2020 – E&I Cooperative Services (E&I) has named the winners of its 12th annual Business Partner Awards. These awards are presented to contracted E&I suppliers who have demonstrated extraordinary dedication and commitment to E&I’s higher education and K-12 membership community. Nominees were identified by a team of E&I representatives and were evaluated based on several criteria, including contract utilization, member purchases, new...

E&I Board Names Eric Frank as New Chief Executive Officer

Frank to Drive Strategic Growth for E&I and its Members in Education March 16, 2020 – E&I Cooperative Services (E&I) has named Eric Frank as its next Chief Executive Officer following the retirement of Tom Fitzgerald, who led the Cooperative in this role for 22 years. This decision came after the E&I Board of Directors and an appointed Search Committee conducted a thorough evaluation of internal and external candidates with the help of Korn Ferry, an...