In response to SupplyCore’s work to procure PPE supplies for the State of Illinois and other communities across the United States, SupplyCore President & CEO Peter Provenzano was recently interviewed by international, national, and regional news outlets. Below are excerpts from each story, including links to the full publications.
From the LA Times about SupplyCore shifting procurement expertise to sourcing PPE.
To read the full article, visit the LA Times’ website.
SupplyCore Inc., a company based in Rockford, Ill., that specializes in providing logistical support to the U.S. military, entered the fray after local officials asked it for help in obtaining goggles, gloves, masks, face shields and disinfectant. Leveraging relationships with U.S. and foreign suppliers, the company quickly lined up the deal, said owner Peter Provenzano.
“We told Rockford we would give it our best shot,” he said, adding, “There was just so much need, and we wanted to help, and we had the relationships to make it happen.”
More than half of SupplyCore’s 250 employees are working, at least in part, on brokering deals for personal protective equipment, and the firm has booked about $10 million in orders from Illinois, other states and hospitals. Its gross margins are in line with its military work — about 8% to 15% per contract, Provenzano said.
Illinois officials said it was helpful to work with local contractors like SupplyCore because they were easier to vet and track. Other states have taken a similar approach.
From Reuters about SupplyCore vetting a PPE source that turned out to not be credible.
To read the full article, visit Reuters’ website.
SupplyCore CEO Peter Provenzano said the tip came from a supplier, but he could not disclose the company’s name because of an ongoing business relationship and non-disclosure agreement. Provenzano estimated that the value of the deal could have amounted to $60 million if the masks had actually materialized.
“I don’t know if there was really a warehouse with 13 million (masks) or not,” Provenzano said in an interview. “Everybody approached it with skepticism, but you can’t ignore it.”
When SupplyCore pressed for access to the warehouse and photos of the gear, the seller would not agree unless the company committed to buying the masks. That was a red flag, Provenzano said. FEMA declined to move forward and SupplyCore also walked away from the deal, Provenzano added.
“We were just trying to do our due diligence,” Provenzano said. “If it proved to be true, you’d want to put it on hold and see what you can do to vet and verify it.”
From NBC affiliate WREX Channel 13 about SupplyCore using its supply chain across the country.
To watch the video, visit WREX’s website.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues so does the need for personal protective equipment for those on the front line. SupplyCore is playing a key role in meeting that demand across the country.
“Sometimes in times of crisis whether those be natural disasters or war, we get called on,” says SupplyCore President and CEO Peter Provenzano.
Provenzano says the company typically works as a Department of Defense contractor. Essentially coordinating the production and delivery of vital gear and supplies to the military. But these days, Provenzano says the clientele is different.
“We’re dealing with communities and hospitals and states. That’s not something we’ve historically supported, customers we’ve historically supported,” says Provenzano.
In Illinois, according to the Comptroller’s website, Supplycore worked to secure 100,000 pairs of safety glasses and 750,000 masks. It’s also worked directly with the city of Rockford, Winnebago County, as well as other states and hospitals around the country. Provenzano says it’s a unique type of crisis for local and state governments...