NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Essensa, a national group purchasing organization, is pleased to announce its exclusive sponsorship agreement with the ECHL, the Premier ‘AA’ Hockey League in North America. Essensa will provide significant savings for the governing body of the league serving as the exclusive group purchasing organization of the ECHL, and will also become the Presenting Sponsor of the ECHL League Board of Governor and Marketing Meetings held in June each year. The agreement, which was brokered by Denver-based Impression Sports & Entertainment, runs for one year and may be extended through the 2018-2019 season.
As part of this agreement, Essensa will offer ECHL access to contracted discounts on a wide variety of products and services used in day-to-day business operations, such as foodservice, office supplies, telecommunications equipment, laundry services, and facility management. Essensa will also regularly analyze the organization’s total business spend, track spending patterns, identify new savings opportunities, and enable the ECHL and its teams to pay consistently lower prices for the products they use.
“For more than five years, we have been helping the teams and organizations in the sports and recreation industry reduce procurement costs for their essential goods and services,” said John P. Sganga, President, Essensa. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to serve ECHL and their fans, and look forward to helping them operate more competitively in a variety of business areas.”
“We are extremely excited to partner with Essensa and participate in the business savings opportunities that they offer,” said Ryan Crelin, Senior Vice President of Business Operations for the ECHL. “Our goal is to take advantage of their unique cost-savings programs and allow fellow ECHL teams, fans, and business owners to learn more about how Essensa can help their bottom line.”
About Essensa: Essensa is the fastest-growing national GPO delivering procurement solutions, supply chain efficiencies, and greater operating margins to sports and recreation leagues, as well as hotels, spas, country clubs, and entertainment venues. Essensa members have access to a $41 billion portfolio comprising 2,000 contracts through more than 900 suppliers. With value-added services, including the Employee Discount Program, complimentary publications, regular contract updates, and exceptional customer service and support staff, Essensa is the clear choice to make a real impact on expenses.
About ECHL: Created in 1988 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 28 teams in 20 states and one Canadian province for its 27th season in 2014-2015. There have been 548 players who have started their career in the ECHL who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League (NHL), including seven who made their NHL debuts in the 2014-2015 season, marking the 18th consecutive season that the league had affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL. Further information on the ECHL is available on its website at ECHL.com.
