The Cooperative Purchasing Network (TCPN) And Lowe’s Announce Partnership to Help Governments, Non-Profits

MOORESVILLE, N.C.--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Lowe’s announced it has been awarded a TCPN (The Cooperative Purchasing Network) competitively bid contract for maintenance and operations supplies. With this agreement, public agencies that must meet state procurement requirements have access to preferred pricing on in-stock items at Lowe’s through a special online ordering site without repeating the standard bidding process, but rather “piggybacking” upon the process that has already been done for them by TCPN.

“Through this partnership with TCPN, we are able to bring public agencies preferred national pricing and local service all in one.”

“Lowe’s understands the challenges public agencies face, and we’re pleased to offer an efficient way to utilize a competitively bid and compliant contract to save money on the products they need,” said Mike Horn, Lowe’s vice president of commercial sales. “Through this partnership with TCPN, we are able to bring public agencies preferred national pricing and local service all in one.”

TCPN-member agencies can register on www.lowesquotes.com to find the products they need. Contract pricing is applicable to all in-stock items—more than 40,000 are included. Public agencies can order their products online and have a dedicated Commercial Account Specialist from their local store help with in-store pickup or delivery. The site ensures proper usage of the contract and tracks agencies’ spending for them.

Eligible public agencies include public and private schools, colleges, universities, cities, counties, municipalities, other government entities, and nonprofit organizations.

Lowe’s is the only national home improvement retailer to have a TCPN contract for maintenance and operations supply needs. The term of the contract is for one year (through March 31, 2011) and four annual renewals following the initial contract term (through 2015).

TCPN is a national governmental purchasing cooperative providing commodity and service contracts for use by public entities. There are over 5,500 governmental entities currently utilizing TCPN contracts. For more information about TCPN or to become a member, visit www.TCPN.org .

ABOUT LOWE’S

With fiscal year 2009 sales of $47.2 billion, Lowe’s Companies, Inc. is a FORTUNE® 50 company that serves approximately 15 million customers a week at more than 1,700 home improvement stores in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Founded in 1946 and based in Mooresville, N.C., Lowe’s is the second-largest home improvement retailer in the world. For more information, visit Lowes.com.