Everton have appointed global sports procurement agents The Parker Company to manage the sourcing and delivery of furniture, fittings and equipment for the club’s new stadium.
The announcement comes just days after the club’s interim chief executive officer, Colin Chong, confirmed that the Bramley-Moore Dock development is on schedule and will be completed late in 2024. The Blues will also consult with supporters as to when the move will from Goodison Park will happen.
After coming through a lengthy procurement process, The Parker Company began their work for the club by hosting a special 'Meet the Buyer' event in central Liverpool this week. With thousands of individual items that will need to be specified, designed, sourced, shipped and installed, the event, coordinated by the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, allowed local and national businesses to get an understanding of the development.
The event also enabled those in attendance to hear from Everton’s procurement team, who outlined their strategy and requirements prior to businesses expressing their interest in the procurement of goods to The Parker Company, who, for over 50 years, have managed the buying needs of hundreds of projects each year, ranging from hotels to stadiums, cruise ships to office blocks.
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"Alongside local sourcing and ensuring value for money, we also aim to meet and exceed our sustainability and environmental targets," Chong said. While we are working on a global scale, 'Everton Stadium' is recognised as a transformational project for the North of England. Therefore, wherever possible, we engage with local suppliers and manufacturers and play our part in boosting the UK’s economy."
Doug Parker, CEO of The Parker Company, is excited about the challenge ahead, insisting: "This is one of the biggest stadium projects in Europe, if not the world, and managing the detail and delivery of this procurement program is a complex operation.
"Our aim is to combine our global supply chain with local manufacturers to ensure that this project gets best value for money, while sharing as much opportunity as possible with companies in Liverpool and the North West and beyond."
Tom Roche, UK director for The Parker Company, added: “Traditionally FF&E has only covered items such as chairs, tables, mirrors and coffee machines but if you imagine turning a modern stadium upside down and shaking it, all the many and varied things that would fall out go far beyond this.
“Our Meet the Buyer events and our vast supply network helps us procure these thousands of loose items, including things like the groundskeeper’s tools and mowers, the security guard’s bodycams, premium furniture, artwork and even applied graphics."
