Page 8 - The Edge - Spring 2017

ALLIANCE PARTNER

By Don Harris

Virco Makes Buying Furniture,

Fixtures, Equipment Stress Free

Virco, AASBO’s newest Alliance Partner, makes it easy for package together, deliver and install it inside their building location.
schools to buy furniture as they outfit 21st century classrooms. The focal point behind that is big construction, renovation, and
From start to finish, from top to bottom, Virco, America’s additions. That’s where our pilot classroom program is being used
leading manufacturer and supplier of furniture and equipment for to its full advantage.”
K-12 schools, does it all. For more than 50 years, Virco has been Craddock also touted a special Virco program. “Being a
one of the largest and most well-known school furniture companies manufacturer, we provide a project management service called
in the country. What’s more, every Virco product meets or exceeds PlanSCAPE,” he said. “It’s a turnkey service. We have a team
sustainable standards, assuring that it is safe and sturdy. of project managers around the country who focus on new
Virco offers school chairs and desks, activity and cafeteria tables, construction, renovation and additions. From top to bottom,
mobile storage units and filing cabinets. The company, which has we help plan the entire building — with space planning, layouts,
been in the Arizona market for 40 years and has served hundreds showing where furniture is going to be, each space, all the way
of schools, provides furniture for various school environments, down to color selections. And we formulate a plan for delivery and
including early learning, installation.”
21st century classrooms, By providing turnkey
STEAM, higher learning, service, Craddock explained:
dining, event spaces, office “Everything is taken care of.
and traditional classrooms. There is no level of expectation
Virco’s strong partnership with on the customer to do anything.
school business officials goes back Everything is on us — Virco. We
several decades. Adam Craddock, take care of it all, from planning
Regional Sales Manager for Virco, to delivery and installation. Every
noted that the company has proudly step of the way, we’re there completing
sponsored ASBO International Pinnacle everything.”
Awards since 1993. The award honors For customers needing help with planning
school business officials for their ingenuity and procurement of furniture, fixtures and
and creative thinking. It celebrates the work equipment, PlanSCAPE “takes the stress
of outstanding individuals whose and anxiety out of such
original solutions maximize purchases,” Craddock said.
resources and enhance student As a fully integrated
achievement, while developing furniture manufacturer,
share-worthy fixes to problems Craddock said Virco can
facing the 21st century school “outfit an entire school
system. Several AASBO members environment from top to
have been Pinnacle Award winners bottom.” He explained: “We
in the past. can deliver and install it, where everything is turnkey from start
Virco has no showrooms throughout the country. “We actually to finish.”
bring the showroom to our customers,” Craddock said. “We’re a Buying directly from the manufacturer can save money. Working
manufacturer — we sell directly to K-12 schools. Our bread and with a few purchasing cooperatives in Arizona, including Mohave
butter is K-12 schools. They’re buying direct from the manufacturer. Educational Services Cooperative and US Communities, Craddock
We provide a pilot classroom program — we formulate a classroom said Virco’s pricing is competitive in the Arizona marketplace.
model suitable to each opportunity. We bring it to them, allow Craddock has been working with AASBO for the 10 years he has
them to ‘test drive’ it for a period of time. The focus is primarily been with Virco. The company regularly attends the AASBO Spring
on new construction, renovation and additions. We actually Conference in Laughlin, Nevada, and the Summer Conference in
tailor everything toward the customer. We will sit down with that
customer and formulate a plan based on their Arizona instruction
initiatives — based on 21st century learning. We put a furniture Continued on page 10

8 THE EDGE | SPRING 2017