As fitness centers and businesses across the country prepare to reopen in the new normal, your cleaning supply demand has likely increased as have requirements for new essential Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that you’ll need to fulfill for your employees and possibly members or customers. You may be finding it harder than ever to source PPE products. Here are some suggestions from our Active Wellness General Manager (Austin, TX) and Procurement Coordinator Jamie Turluck on where to find essential supplies that are in high demand.
Current Contacts
Many vendors you already have relationships with may have gotten into the business of reselling PPE and cleaning supplies. It’s worth a quick website search, phone call or email to find out.
Case in Point: We were able to partner with our promotional vendor to supply face masks - and they are even branded!
Ask Around
Check with your current contacts and you will likely be surprised by who you can rely on for fulfilling your orders or making a referral.
Think Local
It’s not just national suppliers that are providing PPE and high-demand items these days. Reach out to your local businesses to see if they can help you with an order. You may even be able to get access to supplies sooner since you’ll be avoiding shipping time.
Case in Point: We were able to supply hand sanitizer for one of our fitness centers from a local brewery in Austin, TX.
Not Sure Where To Start?
Active is thankful to be partnered with vendors such as Petra, Waxie, BAMKO and local vendors in our markets to help us with our supply needs. We recommend reaching out to them for support.
We strongly urge you not to wait until it’s too late to order supplies. Get ahead of ordering what you need prior to opening. Active suggests trying to order 6-8 weeks of backstock on hand.
We all know these products are in very high demand and lead times are longer than normal. Approving a quote will put you in a line to receive your products, so you’ll want to do your product research and confirm a budget now. That way you can quickly approve quotes received to ensure you have products in-hands when your doors reopen.
If you need guidance on your fitness center reopening plans or ordering supplies Active can help! Contact us here.
Jamie Turluck | Active Wellness General Manager and Procurement Coordinator
Jamie Turluck has 12 years of experience in the fitness industry, both managing a multi-tenant corporate campus and assisting with procurement needs of existing and new fitness centers. She works with our Procurement and Design team on equipment consultations, vendor and product recommendations and preferred/budget pricing for our fitness centers. During this time she enjoys creating home workouts for her and her husband and is looking forward to getting back into her fitness center soon.
