PURCHASING AGENT
NORTHWESTERN INC.
Los Angeles, CA
December 2007 - November 2014
Working for the Northwestern Inc. custom architectural millworking company was a big change for me and I gained a great deal of experience from that job. The company was started in 1954, and was known for extremely high quality. This reputation of excellence instilled in me a great sense of pressure to maintain and build upon the rich history that the company had established over 60 years in the industry. I acclimated quickly to the position and began the rapid redevelopment of their purchasing, logistics, and inventory management system. I did all of the purchasing for the company and was focused on sourcing and procuring the highest quality materials, at the best possible pricing. Developing relationships with our vendors, and maintaining meticulous records helped me to thrive in this position. My natural propensity for organization and attention to detail gave me the ability to effectively execute the duties and responsibilities of the position. My top priority was to provide the right product, at the right price, at the right time, to ensure our projects got completed on time, and under budget.
ABOUT NORTHWESTERN INC.
A Rich History of Excellence
Northwestern Inc. was a prestigious architectural millwork company with a long history and reputation for producing the finest custom architectural woodwork in the industry. The company was originally started in Germany in the 1940's, and in 1954 the company moved to Los Angeles. Over the decades, Northwestern grew and built a reputation for fine craftsmanship and the highest quality in the industry. The primary market for Northwestern was Las Vegas. Over a 30-year span they did substantial work with just about every major hotel in Las Vegas. This includes the Mirage, The Wynn, Planet Hollywood, Bellagio, The Venetian, Aria Hotel, Hardrock Hotel, and many more. As years past and the Las Vegas market transitioned to using less expensive, lower quality mill work, Northwestern shifted its focus to the extremely high-end residential construction market. As the company made this transition, the type of projects changed from hotels and casinos, to mega-mansions, owned by the super-rich. These projects created unique challenges and came with some extremely high expectations. The amount of customization for each project made my job very difficult, but I accepted each challenge and delivered every time.
PRODUCT SOURCING & PURCHASING
My Primary Objective
Being the purchasing agent for Northwestern meant much more than just placing product orders. I was required to source materials, get price quotes, negotiate discounts, and track the orders from start to finish. Once we received the orders, I had to ensure they got delivered the correct people, and were properly stored and secured prior to usage. Before any of those tasks could be executed, I had to work closely with the project managers to determine what type of materials would be required for each project. Every project that Northwestern took on was completely custom and no two projects were alike. That consent change and customization demanded a great amount of creativity, perseverance, and ingenuity to find and procure the material required to complete the project. I maintained good working relations with my product suppliers, and always kept my eye out for new and innovative products. The sheer magnitude of the projects we completed could have been overwhelming to some, but I excelled in this environment and enjoyed the unique challenge of each project.
FSC CERTIFICATION
Ensuring Sustainability & Chain of Custody Protocols
In the woodworking industry it is very important to know where the wood comes from, and ensure that it is provided by ethical and sustainable methods. When Northwestern decided it wanted to be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, I was responsible for handling all of the steps required for FCS certification. This was a long and exacting process that required meticulous record keeping, and infrastructure changes to our company. After making all of the required changes and provisions, I was able to pass the audit, and we received our FSC certification. This certification allowed us to work on jobs that required sustainable materials, and opened up additional revenue streams for the company.
FEATURED PROJECTS
I Played My Part
During my time at Northwestern Inc., we worked on some amazing projects. Each project presented different challenges and presented unique obstacles to overcome. As a company, we created some beautiful and inspiring architectural features. below are a few examples of the projects we completed while I worked as their purchasing Manager.
UCLA FILM ARCHIVE
Santa Clarita, CA
2013
The UCLA Film Archive building was a massive project that involved several trades. Northwestern was responsible for all of the interior casework, and exterior woodwork aspects for the project. Among these aspects was the cedar plank awning that circled the complex. Procuring the cedar for this project was intensive and complicated. When the job was completed, our work came out flawless and was yet another example of the quality craftsmanship Northwestern was known for.
ANTHONY PRITZKER HOME
Bel Air, CA
2011
The Pritzker house was a very ambitious project and was one that I took a very hands-on approach to. This home is owned by Anthony Pritzker, heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune. When completed, it was one of the largest private homes in America, measuring nearly 50,000 square feet in the prestigious Bel Air, California hills. One unique aspect of this home is that they used rift white oak wood throughout the home, from the floor, to the walls, to the ceiling. It was my job to source and procure nearly half a million board feet of pristine rift white oak to complete this project. it was a daunting task, but I was able to secure the oak, along with all of the other materials required to complete this massive project
OPRAH WINFREY HOME
"THE PROMISED LAND"
Montecito, CA
2014
One of the more famous clients for Northwestern Inc. was Oprah Winfrey. We did the interior remodel for her Montecito California home (known as The Promised Land). She had previously hired a different millwork company to do the work, but when she was disappointed with the quality of their work, she hired Northwestern Inc. to come in and complete the job. As with all projects, I procured all of the materials required to complete this job.
ARIA HOTEL
Las Vegas, NV
2010 - 2011
The Aira Hotel was among the many projects Northwestern Inc. worked on for the Las Vegas City Center project. Northwestern Inc. was built on the growth and development of Las Vegas, and did a lot of the interior wood work for many of the hotels and casinos on the strip. One of my greatest challenges for this projects was sourcing the material to create the massive wood panels that line the main walkway in the Hotel's lobby.
WP24 RESTAURANT
Los Angeles, CA
2011
The WP24 Restaurant is located on the 24th floor of the Ritz Carlton building at LA Live in Downtown Los Angeles California. This high end restaurant is owned by the famous chef Wolfgang Puck and features many interior aspects provided by Northwestern Inc. I sourced and procured all of the flexible wood stakes we used to create the unique railing that flows throughout the restaurant. This is an example of the diversity of the projects we completed while I was the purchasing agent for Northwestern Inc.
STEAK N SHAKE RESTAURANT
Santa Monica, CA
2015
Possibly the most unique project we had at Northwestern Inc. was the over-head marquee for the Steak N Shake restaurant on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica California. This was completely out of our normal scope of work, as we did not use any wood on the entire project. I personally worked with the owner of our company to design, fabricate, and source an assortment of materials ranging from polished stainless steel beams, to custom laminated glass, hand-crafted acrylic panels, and specialized lighting. What we produced in the end was a visually astonishing architectural feature that is the focal point of the flagship Steak N Shake restaurant location. This project demonstrates my versatility and the flexibility of my capabilities as a purchasing agent.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
The Basic Overview
Product Sourcing
Purchasing
Budgeting
Logistics
Shipping & Receiving
Quality Control
Inventory Control
OSHA Compliance
Fire & Safety Coordinator
Material Take-off
Vendor Relations
Price Negotiations
Problem Solving
Policy Development & Implementation
​
CONCLUSION
Experience & Accomplishment
After running my own business, it was a big change to move into a company environment. I took the experiences I had from my previous work and education to develop procedures and habits that helped me to be a successful purchasing agent for Northwestern Inc. During my 7 years employed there I learned a great deal about what it takes to be an integral part of a company and what it takes to complete large scale projects on time, and under budget. I value my time there and I am proud of the accomplishments achieved by the company, and by myself personally. Together we created projects that will remain beautiful landmarks for many years to come.