Port Recognized for Excellence in Procurement Practices

Tuesday, 14 July 2009

In its first-ever entry into a nationwide procurement recognition evaluation process, the Port of San Diego received a prestigious 2009 Achievement of Excellence in Procurement award from the National Purchasing Institute. Each year several thousand public and non-profit agencies apply, according to Garnet (Dave) Thompson, Director of Procurement Services.

The Port now joins a small group of organizations that are recognized nationally as achieving excellence in procurement, materials management practices and business processes.

“This was a goal of the procurement staff,” said Thompson, Director of Procurement Services. “Over the last three years the department developed processes, procedures, policies, and internal operational controls that are recognized as benchmarks of excellent customer service, professional standards of integrity and fairness, and best practices for public procurement and materials management,” he said.

The award is sponsored by 11 professional purchasing associations, including the California Association of Public Purchasing Officers and the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing.

The Procurement Services Department will receive the Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Award trophy at the annual California Association of Public Purchasing Officers conference that will be held in Riverside, California, in January, 2010.

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