As U.S. pandemic numbers continue to fall and a “new normal” emerges, many large organizations are letting go of excess real estate and enabling broader hybrid work adoption. Entrepreneurship is on the rise, and many businesses are transitioning entirely to working from home. Legions of small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), including microbusinesses with fewer than 10 employees, are adapting and innovating to save time, money, and resources. Their situations range from dire daily struggle to thriving success, even as the COVID economy struggles to rebound.
Against this unique backdrop, Fort Worth, TX-based Legacy Purchasing Group (LPG) arrives with what will likely be a new purchasing option for many: a fast-growing group purchasing organization (GPO) that can save any business well over 50% on their office needs. LPG helps businesses realize savings and efficiencies related to office supplies, technology, HR solutions, and more by leveraging the collective buying power of their members to negotiate significant discounts. Across the U.S., LPG now brings these savings to thousands of businesses from coast to coast, and, unlike other business discount programs that may assess several hundred dollars annually, LPG never charges fees or membership dues.
“Businesses everywhere are trying to save money, now more than ever,” says LPG founder and president Ashley Stuhr. “Most of these companies don’t realize utilizing a GPO is an option and tend to get overlooked because of their size. We are reaching businesses in the community, educating them on our programs, and saving them thousands of dollars annually. Those savings get reallocated to the core focus of their business.”
“We have the business owner’s best interests at heart,” adds LPG director of marketing Morgan Heinrich. “We spend our time vetting the best supplier partners and passing on cost savings to members. This is a game-changer for our members.”
Building A Trusted Business Resource
Ashley Stuhr spent nearly a decade as a sales leader within Office Depot’s business division, much of which involved working with GPOs, albeit in the healthcare industry where the GPO business model is more common. Stuhr enjoyed her job, but with three kids and plenty of weekly travel demands, she felt an increasing urge to make a greater positive impact. She spent a year talking with business owners and C-level executives beyond healthcare. When she realized the vast majority of them had never heard of a GPO or how to access their benefits, she knew this was how she would be able to impact the business community, especially among smaller businesses.
In Sept. 2017, Stuhr took the leap and quit her steady corporate job to launch Legacy Purchasing Group. Stuhr pounded the pavement by networking with business owners, consulting with successful GPO’s, interviewing prospective vendors, and truly listening to the SMB market’s needs. Stuhr’s ability to add trusted partners to LPG’s roster attracted business owners, associations, and large groups. This led to an increase in buying power, which brought in new business and the ability to attract more suppliers.
In early 2021, LPG celebrated hitting $80 million in buying power and growing 126% in their membership roster from the previous year. Office Depot was one of several LPG launch partners, with new suppliers regularly joining the purchasing group. Discounted solutions now span technology, small business payroll, corporate 401k consulting, telemedicine, shredding services, and more.
How LPG’s Membership Works
A GPO relies on the principle of buying power. The more business an organization can bring to a supplier, the more that supplier will offer deeper discounts and other benefits to “sweeten” the deal. Other buying groups target large enterprise customers and focus on a specific industry, such as healthcare. Some even charge membership fees. LPG provides a solution for entrepreneurs, and small to medium size businesses who might not otherwise feel they have enough buying “volume” with which to justify deep discounts. LPG accepts businesses of every size, including those overlooked by other buying organizations.
Office Depot provides an illustrative example into LPG’s offerings. LPG negotiates a contract with Office Depot, bringing thousands of members to Office Depot in exchange for deep discounts across all of Office Depot’s offerings, everything from tech equipment and copy services to white boards and janitorial supplies. Business owners can simply sign up on LPG’s website to shop online or present an LPG-issued Store Discount Card at an Office Depot store to receive the same discounts in-store. Once a business is registered through LPG, a dedicated Office Depot account manager will work with the business to ensure they are receiving the best pricing and products. By the end of 2020, LPG realized 126% year-over-year growth in new business members accessing savings through the Office Depot program.
“We have loved our membership with Legacy Purchasing Group!” says Taylor Guillot of The Buhmann Group in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX. “Beyond ensuring we have the best deals, our Office Depot account manager is consistent in calling to check in and see if we need anything. The savings and customer service offered through Legacy Purchasing Group and their supplier partners are second to none!”
“We’re constantly going back and negotiating for better benefits,” says Stuhr. “There’s no membership fee for our members, ever, no cost for any business to access our contracts and discounts. Honestly, it’s surprisingly simple. We just bridge people to services that small- to medium-sized businesses would not be able to get on their own.”
LPG also encourages members to consider soft dollar savings, including any time spent negotiating their own contracts as well as the accounting time needed to track and pay multiple invoices rather than one consolidated bill.
“In our first year of using these programs, we saw a 31% cost savings,” says Victoria Stevenson with Texas-based Beard Integrated Systems. “The year after that, we saw an additional 13% savings. Before LPG’s program, our supply costs were incredibly high and without an order approval program. Employees purchased as they pleased. Personally, as the main person to oversee supply orders, this has saved me so much time and effort. No more searching multiple sites and comparing prices. I can browse one site and if for some reason the price is not so competitive, I can reach out to the team and they will price adjust to keep us on track with our cost-savings goals.”
Business With a Mission
In late 2020, LPG adjusted its brand and added the tagline “Do Good Business” because it is such a deep-seated core value to the company. LPG believes that “doing good business” means offering the best prices and best customer service while continually serving as a community resource. This is why LPG started its Do Good Business Mini-Series, an ongoing collection of video interviews with insightful industry leaders that complements the company’s regular blog articles and social media engagement.
“Also, as a woman-owned business, we hope to be yet another inspiration to other women who want to take that next step in their future careers,” says Stuhr.
LPG is accessible, adaptable, and constantly searching for ways to provide more solutions for business members. Moreover, LPG strives to be personal and helpful at every turn. They want to assist members in doing good business so that clients, in turn, can create a legacy of their own — a mission baked even into LPG’s name.
About Legacy Purchasing Group
Legacy Purchasing Group is a woman-owned group purchasing organization that specializes in buying power for small to medium-sized businesses across all industries. As their trusted business resource, LPG helps businesses realize savings and efficiencies related to office supplies, technology, HR solutions, and more by leveraging the collective buying power of their members to negotiate significant discounts. With thousands of members and growing, Legacy Purchasing Group is committed to providing businesses the best value with top suppliers at no additional cost or obligation. For more information, visit https://www.legacypurchasinggroup.com.
