During the beginning of the pandemic, people across the world were spending more time outside and trying to find activities that would be safe for their health. This led to a spike in golfing due to the outdoor and spacious nature of the sport. Most courses saw a 30%-40% increase in rounds of golf played. Let’s take a closer look at how this scenario played out at The City of Wilson’s funded golf course, Wedgewood Golf Course. We spoke with the Golf Director Brady Pinner and discussed the impact the last few years has had on their business.
North Carolina City Keeps Up with Golf Cart Demand with Cooperative Purchasing
SUCCESS STORY: City of Wilson, NC and E‑Z‑GO
The Challenge
With golf in high demand, this was good for the city as it did bring in additional revenue. However, it also meant their golf carts were breaking down quicker and needing more maintenance than normal. Making the necessary improvements was increasing repair costs and adding additional time spent on maintenance by staff. In addition, some of the carts were due for replacement, which complicated things as the industry has been facing supply chain challenges.
Pinner knew it was time to order a new fleet and start fresh instead of wasting money on carts breaking down. While this seemed like a great idea, they knew they would be met with long lead times and other supply chain hurdles. The team knew they needed to act quickly and get ahead of the curve before they were completely out of operational carts.
The Solution
To start the process of ordering a new fleet, Brady contacted his trusted advisor Ethan at E‑Z‑GO® and started the conversations on solving their problems.
After discussing the golf course’s needs, they came to the conclusion that a fleet of lithium battery powered carts would be best for them. Their current agreement was expiring in July of 2022, so they were able to create a new one and have the new fleet delivered by fall of 2022.
By utilizing this cooperative purchasing solution through OMNIA Partners. The City of Wilson was able to avoid major course downtime while also preventing revenue loss due to not being able to sell tee times.
Since we were able to streamline and get this process done sooner rather than later, it allowed Brady to get his carts two months earlier than he would have through a traditional bid process. If he had not gotten this fleet when he did, the course would have seen an extreme decrease in revenue.
– Ethan Fowler | Sales Territory Manager | E-Z-GO
I've been a golf professional for 35 years. All of my years I have had E-Z-GO carts, so I fought hard to continue using them as I moved around different clubs. I am a big fan of E-Z-GO.
– Brady Pinner | Golf Director
Government agencies have a lot of hoops to jump through. Ultimately the OMNIA Partners agreement with E-Z-GO was chosen by the city because of the simplified process.
– Brady Pinner | Golf Director
OMNIA Partners & E-Z-GO
E‑Z‑GO® has become a world leader in transportation and global manufacturing of golf cars and personal transportation vehicles. They produce tens of thousands of vehicles each year, many of which feature game-changing technology and innovations to improve vehicle efficiency and enhance the user experience like no other vehicle can.
In partnership with OMNIA Partners, E-Z-GO is able to provide industry-leading products in the form of a cooperative solution. This is beneficial to public agencies nationwide due to the overall time and cost saving nature as well as the compliance features. All agreements in the OMNIA Partners portfolio have been competitively solicited and publicly awarded so you can rest easy knowing you are receiving the greatest value and solution for your needs.
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