Driving Grab ‘n Go volume with Areas at LAX

Anything less than a strategic partnership wasn't going to work for Areas, an airport and travel concessions company operating in 12 countries around the globe and in 10 U.S. airports.

Paula Lopez, Area’s Director of Supply Chain and Procurement, wanted more from her GPO partner and that’s where $36 billion in global purchasing power and our business performance improvement capabilities fit Areas’ needs best. Paula approached Entegra and challenged the team to not only deliver on price and service, but also to find a solution to their tarmac credentialing issues at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

They needed to have products delivered to different terminals and needed a partner who had access. “We needed a partner who could offer a holistic approach to our business challenges,” said Paula. “Like everyone, we needed to save on costs, but we had unique needs in terms of getting products through airport security.”

Unraveling the process to get access to restricted areas of the airport can be complicated, but Entegra came up with a solution. Leveraging our relationship with distributor partner, Produce Alliance, we introduced all sides. Produce Alliance was already working with Fresh Grill, delivering supplies and ingredients to their locations within the airport. The Grab ’n Go program gives Entegra clients a way to offer prepared, branded meals in to-go cases.

The end result? Fresh Grill prepares sandwiches, yogurt parfaits and other products for Areas to sell at their shops throughout all eight terminals at LAX. Produce Alliance does the pickup and deliveries to Areas, closing the circle in this relationship.

So, not only is Areas getting better pricing, but their products are made fresh and delivered without delay to their storefronts. We’re supplying Areas with 45,000 sandwiches, fruit cups and parfaits per month.

Better yet, Paula now has an extended procurement team in Entegra. We're working with their supply partners to anticipate issues, talk through options and check pricing on a weekly basis. Key to those efforts on the Entegra side was National Account Executive Katie Noble. “The key takeaway is that there is no one way we do things here at Entegra,” said Katie. “We actively listen to the challenges our clients are facing and use creativity to adapt our programs and services to achieve the best outcomes we can.”

This relationship is working so well for all sides of the equation that we hope to expand the partnership into additional locations.

Call us at 833-977-1765 or contact us to get more information about putting Entegra’s purchasing power to work for you.