Purchasing

We appreciate your interest in doing business with the City of E. St. Louis. We hope this guide will benefit you as a new or present supplier. Our aim is to help you in your sales effort and to promote a climate of good business relationships with the City of E. St. Louis. This site will provide a brief outline of our purchasing policies and procedures. If you need more information, please call us at (618) 482-6744.

Procurement services for all City departments are centralized in the Purchasing Department under the general direction of the Purchasing Manager. The Purchasing Department is a division of the Finance Department and reports directly to the Director of Finance.

Sales Calls and Contacts

Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. To conserve time and ensure you adequate attention, we urge you to call us at (618) 482-6744 and make a definite appointment before coming to the Purchasing Department. Routine "courtesy" visits are not encouraged as they can disrupt the daily work flow.

Objectives

The City of E St. Louis Purchasing Department’s overall objectives are:

To secure the right materials, equipment, and services at the right quality and quantity, at the right time and place, and at the right price.
To conserve public funds by obtaining the best products and services for the dollars spent.
To meet departmental requirements with a minimum investment in materials and inventory consistent with sound operating practice and economic advantage.
To maintain continuity of supply to support on-going service, operations, and construction schedules.
To reduce the volume and streamline the flow of paper work required in purchasing.
To furnish timely information to management and appropriate departments covering market conditions and trends, and the probable effect on supply and price.
To give a fair opportunity to all prospective vendors.
To secure, whenever possible, competitive prices on purchases.
To establish specifications, which will encourage competition and accurately describe the equipment and materials needed.
To be receptive to changes in material requirements and new products and procedures.
To conduct business with fairness and dignity and to demand honesty and truth in buying and selling.