Goodwill West Louisville Opportunity Center
Project Location: Louisville, KY
Square Footage: 125,000 sq ft
Goodwill West Louisville Opportunity Center – Leveraging Cooperative Purchasing for Greater Community Impact
At A Glance:
Services Provided:
- Design Integration
- Move Management
- Decommissioning
- Furniture Procurement
- Installation Management
- Signage
Furnishings Provided:
- Offices
- Workstations
- Conference Rooms
- Training Rooms
- Commons Areas
- Classrooms
Project Details:
Estimated Project Value: $754,528.00
Furniture Supplier: AIS (via OMNIA Partners’ Cooperative Contract)
Furniture Dealer: RCF Group
Design Firm: Details Commercial Group
Architecture Firm: Studio A Architecture
The Goodwill West Louisville Opportunity Center in Louisville, Kentucky, is a state-of-the-art facility designed to provide comprehensive services for community members in need. The Opportunity Center serves as the new headquarters for Goodwill Industries of Kentucky, offering a dynamic space for both internal operations and a variety of community programs. It houses Goodwill's job training, personal development services, and nonprofit partners that work together to improve the lives of local residents.
The West Louisville Opportunity Center is a 125,000 sq ft facility that spans two floors, with the first floor dedicated to public-facing services, including job training programs, financial literacy classes, and various nonprofit workspaces. The first floor provides a collaborative environment where individuals can access critical resources, and nonprofit partners can work alongside Goodwill to deliver impactful community services. The second floor is reserved for Goodwill’s operational needs, creating a space where staff and partners can collaborate behind the scenes to support the mission of the organization.
RCF Group, a leading furniture dealer, was selected to support the center’s development, providing design, procurement, and installation services for a variety of office spaces, workstations, training rooms, and community-focused areas. This partnership was built on RCF Group’s longstanding relationship with Goodwill Industries of Kentucky and their commitment to delivering solutions that align with Goodwill’s mission of social impact.
Leveraging OMNIA Partners and AIS for Cost Savings
A major benefit for Goodwill in this project was the opportunity to leverage OMNIA Partners, a cooperative purchasing organization. Through OMNIA Partners, Goodwill was able to access competitively solicited and publicly awarded contracts with trusted suppliers, including AIS, a leading manufacturer of office furniture. This cooperative purchasing model enabled Goodwill to secure competitive pricing for high-quality office furnishings, ensuring that their budget was used efficiently to maximize the value of the Opportunity Center.
By utilizing the cooperative purchasing power offered by OMNIA Partners and AIS, Goodwill was able to streamline the procurement process and achieve significant cost savings. This allowed more of their funds to be allocated directly to the programs and services that make a difference in the community.
The furniture's amazing design, color, and feel are key parts of the atmosphere we have achieved here at the Goodwill West Louisville Opportunity Center. It is clear that RCF Group looked at every detail, and carefully considered our staff and clients, along with their comfort and flexibility. The tables with the wheels make our classroom setups much easier, and the chairs in each area are color coordinated and match the graphics throughout the building.
– Emery Scott Lee – Director of Career Services, West Louisville Opportunity Center, Goodwill of Kentucky
Strategic Savings
RCF Group’s proactive approach in managing long lead times and potential price increases helped save Goodwill even more money. By placing furniture orders in advance, despite an 18-month lead time, RCF Group mitigated the risk of unexpected price hikes and ensured that the project stayed on track.
These efforts resulted in a total savings of $216,821 in value engineering, along with additional savings from a generous local corporate partner who donated conference and training tables, contributing $30,500 in further savings. These funds were reinvested into Goodwill’s mission, directly supporting their critical community programs.
Delivering on Time and Within Budget
Over the course of 18 months, RCF Group maintained continuous communication with all project partners, making regular schedule adjustments as needed and monitoring the project’s progress to ensure that everything was completed on time and within budget. Despite challenges such as long delays and fluctuations in project activity, RCF Group’s attention to detail and proactive problem-solving kept the project on track.
A Vibrant, Community-Focused Space
The West Louisville Opportunity Center, which officially opened in early 2024, is already making a profound impact on the West Louisville community. The first floor, with its array of public learning spaces and nonprofit partner offices, provides an environment where community members can access job training programs, financial literacy classes, and other valuable resources to help them succeed. The second floor supports Goodwill’s operational needs, helping the organization function smoothly behind the scenes as it continues to provide essential services to the community.
The new headquarters is a powerful example of how collaboration between public services, nonprofit organizations, and the community can create a positive, lasting impact. The center enables Goodwill and its partners to work together more effectively, furthering their collective mission to empower individuals and improve the quality of life for Louisville residents.
Why Cooperative Purchasing Matters
The success of the West Louisville Opportunity Center project underscores the value of cooperative purchasing through OMNIA Partners. By utilizing the cooperative purchasing contracts available to Goodwill, the organization was able to access high-quality office furnishings at competitive prices, maximizing the value of their investment in the center. This cooperative model helped simplify the procurement process, reduce administrative burdens, and ensure that Goodwill could allocate more resources toward its programs, which directly benefit the community.
Cooperative purchasing not only drives financial efficiency but also strengthens the impact of community-focused organizations like Goodwill. The West Louisville Opportunity Center stands as a testament to the power of collaboration and the role that strategic partnerships, such as those formed through OMNIA Partners, play in creating lasting change.