CRE is Hiring: Procurement Specialist

CRE is seeking an enthusiastic individual who is detail-oriented, a problem solver, and enjoys working on a project team that includes owners, architects, general contractors, designers, and vendors. As a Procurement Specialist, you’ll work on a variety of hospitality, multi-family, and commercial projects both for The Buccini/Pollin Group and third-party clients. This role is responsible for:

• Project FF&E and OS&E procurement of products for hospitality, select commercial and food and beverage projects from initial design to installation

• Development of preliminary FF&E budgets and forecasts

• Development of bid proposals, prepare and process purchase orders

• Providing bid comparison reports, forecast and expediting reports

• Managing the approval process of custom goods with vendors and interior designers; assist interior designers with alternate selection options

• Coordinating FF&E delivery with installation staff

• Communicating with the client, providing regular status updates and handling any questions or changes.

• Coordinating work in the field including interfacing with designers and consultants.

For more information and to apply, please click the link below!

CRE Welcomes New Procurement Specialist, Paige Trakas!

As Christina River Exchange continues to grow and develop new client relationships, we recognized the need to grow our team as well. Please join us in welcoming Paige Trakas as a Procurement Specialist I!

Meet Paige Trakas

Prior to joining Christina River Exchange, Paige previously worked at GGA Construction in the design-build field. She comes to us with prior experience in residential and commercial design. Paige received her B.F.A in Interior Design, with a Minor in Graphic Design, at New York Institute of Technology, where she learned how to present her designs, take different types of criticism, and using public speaking to her advantage.

While Paige enjoys the challenges each type of design has to offer, she realized her passion lies in Interior Design. She is excited to apply her knowledge of the industry to the FF&E procurement cycle, helping to make our client’s incredible projects come to life!

To get to know Paige a little better, we asked her a few questions…

What led you to Christina River Exchange? The job description first caught my eye, being able to get back into the interior side of a project was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up. After researching and visiting CRE’s website multiple times, I noticed that their previous and current projects were in great locations both near and far. Their ability to work in the hospitality industry by managing a project and making awesome relationships is also a huge plus!

What’s a work-related accomplishment that you’re really proud of? As a Project Engineer at GGA, I was able to assist and finish a design-build project,. It was one of the few projects I was able to choose furnishes and finishes on.

What’s your favorite way to unwind after a busy day? My favorite way to unwind after a busy day would consist of eating good food (dinner) and taking a hot shower!

Are you an early bird or a night owl? It is easier for me to wake up early rather than to stay up late…

What was your first job? Non-professionally my first job was a hostess for Schaefer’s Canal House in Chesapeake City, MD. Professionally my first job was a Project Engineer for GGA Construction in Middletown, DE.

What are three words your friends would use to describe you? Sometimes Shy, Nice… ahhh I have no idea – some people think I’m funny… hard question!

What is your favorite restaurant? It is hard to narrow it down, but one of my favorite restaurants would have to be DogFish Head Brewery in Rehoboth Beach, DE.

We welcome Paige to our team with open arms & look forward to her contributions!

DoubleTree Financial District Renovation Complete

Set in the Stone Street Historic District of lower Manhattan, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel New York City Financial District is a beautiful downtown hotel with magnificent views of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Ellis Island. Brand new guest rooms feature warm mahogany tones and rich colors. They are tastefully appointed with custom wall coverings, distinct furnishings, and baths enhanced with contemporary features.

CRE Procurement Specialist, Zach Shope, gave us a behind the scenes look into renovating an existing brand-name hotel in one of the most visited cities in the world.

Can you breakdown the FF&E installation process?

It is a 44-floor hotel, so the installation was broken down to four floors every week or two starting on the top floor. To ensure client satisfaction, I had weekly calls with the client every Thursday to discuss what’s needed for the current floors, mitigate any issue, and plan for the next week. I also regularly communicated the scheduled with the vendors, construction team, and installation team so everyone was on track.

What is the biggest challenge you faced during this project, and how did you overcome it?

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, delivery schedules were constantly changing since many of our venders for the guestrooms were from China. Unfortunately, there was not much we could do since many companies were closed for a month or two. However, we did keep in touch with everyone and planned ahead for a 2-month delay. We did our best to keep vendors motivated to meet deadlines, while also demonstrating empathy and understanding during this difficult time.

Do you have a favorite space or fixture from the project?

The artwork in the public spaces is very cool. The hotel has a very strong city-themed design, but the creative artwork and bold lighting make it unique. An artist even hand-painted the interior mural!

Is there anything else unique about the project that you found interesting?

The Lutron lighting package was very high tech and interesting. It required a lot of attention because there were many moving components, and I learned a lot about the lighting on this project through this process. The approval packages were roughly 160 pages on this project compared to 1-3 pages normally since it was a large order with many details.

CRE Team Grows With Two New Procurement Specialists

As Christina River Exchange continues to grow and develop new client relationships, we recognized the need to grow our team as well. Please join us in welcoming Courtney Miller and Sabrina Matheson to the CRE team as Procurement Specialists!

Meet Courtney Miller

Prior to joining Christina River Exchange, Courtney worked at Bear Creek Arsenal as a Supply Chain Associate. She comes to us with prior experience in supply chain, export and import logistics, and customer service. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management at Wilmington University.

Her interest in and knowledge of the industry will advance her ability to successfully work with Clients throughout the entire FF&E cycle of a project, from the design phase to installation. Courtney is thrilled to join the distinguished CRE team and assist on a number of projects.

To get to know Courtney a little better, we asked her a few questions…

• What led you to Christina River Exchange? I wanted to further my career by pursuing a position in procurement and also work for an amazing company. CRE holds values that match everything I was looking for.

• What’s a work-related accomplishment that you’re really proud of? I created an organized structure of reports for items that needed to be ordered and items that we were waiting to arrive. This system reduced production meeting time, and I was able to send out the appropriate spreadsheets that increased efficiency on our team.

• What’s your favorite way to unwind after a busy day? Happy hour or watching The Office!

• Are you an early bird or a night owl? Early bird! I am most productive in the morning.

• What was your first job? I worked as a party attendant at an inflatable party place.

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Meet Sabrina Matheson

Before Cristina River Exchange, Sabrina previously worked as a Bid & Purchasing Manager for the artwork manufacturer, Kaleidoscope Design Factory. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Florida State University.

Her experience in the manufacturing industry gives her a unique perspective on the FF&E procurement cycle, specifically relating to approvals, lead times, and schedules. Given her knowledge of manufacturing, Sabrina looks forward to assisting the team in all aspects of the FF&E Cycle.

We got the chance to learn more about Sabrina…

• What led you to Christina River Exchange? I was looking for a new adventure in the Pennsylvania / Delaware area and this position came up. It was an ideal opportunity for me to learn new skills and apply my current skill set from my previous position purchasing raw materials.

• What’s a work-related accomplishment that you’re really proud of? Any time I can make a process more efficient. For example, when all the complicated formulas finally work out in Excel, it’s a major accomplishment.

• What’s your favorite way to unwind after a busy day? It’s 50/50. Going for a run or sprawling out on the couch and binge watching TV.

• Are you an early bird or a night owl? Early bird! I like to wake up early to get a head start on my to-do list.

• What was your first job? Executive Assistant

We welcome Courtney and Sabrina to our team & look forward to their contributions!