Kathleen C. Lazor, R.D Director, Div. of Food & Nutrition Services

1. “Why I’m Not”Pro’s and Con’s of Co-Operative PurchasingSNA Child Nutrition Industry ConferenceJanuary 15, 2008 Kathleen C. Lazor, R.D Director, Div. of Food & Nutrition Services Montgomery County Public Schools Rockville, Maryland

2. Montgomery County Public Schools at a Glance • Total enrollment: 137,745 students • MCPS is the 16th largest school system in the U.S. and the largest in Maryland • 201 schools • FY 2008 budget of $1.9 billion

3. Division of Food & Nutrition Services (DFNS) • 12 million meals served annually • FY 2008 budget = $46.7 million • Food and supplies budget = $16.3 million • School breakfast, lunch, after-school snacks • The Summer Food Service Program • Food Distribution Program

4. MCPS DFNS Warehouse • Opened in the early 1980s • Refrigerated, frozen and dry storage • 22,500 square feet • Fleet of refrigerated trucks • Ability to receive full truckloads of product • Ability to receive product by truck or rail

5. MCPS DFNS Central Production Facility • Opened in the mid 1990s • Ingredient control, cook-chill, salad-vegetable prep, bake center, pre-plate assembly • 24,000 square feet • Bulk purchasing • Utilization of USDA commodities

6. Maryland • 24 Local Education Agencies (23 counties and Baltimore City) • 12 in Central Maryland, which includes the Baltimore/Washington DC area • 3 in Western Maryland • 9 on the Eastern Shore

7. Size = Purchasing Power • Line Item vs. Aggregate Awards • Aggregate bids • Limits the number of vendors for the warehouse • Provides consistency among similar type items

8. Size = Purchasing Power • Timing of bids • Coincide with harvest/pack dates • Flexibility with start and end dates • Consolidation of bids

9. Purchasing Co-Operative—Not for MCPS • Cost • Autonomy in decision making • Product preference • Meeting with manufacturer representatives and brokers