We’ve all heard the old adage, "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." It's one of those time-tested pearls of wisdom that never fails, right? Well think again, because people like Sally Yacka, Business Manager of Derby Down, Inc., will tell you there are exceptions. Big exceptions. When Sally first saw the flyer from the United States Equestrian Federation’s (USEF) purchasing program, detailing how she could get big discounts on products the farm already used, she thought she might be missing the fine print.

“I was afraid there was a catch at first, and I almost threw it away,” she says. Call it luck or call it horseman’s intuition, but Sally gave that flyer a second glance. Looking back, she’s glad she did. Reading that flyer saved Derby Down, Inc., thousands of dollars on at least a thousand—maybe thousands of gallons of paint that was used to splash new life onto the beautiful horse farm, which spreads over 30 lush acres of ground just half an hour west of Philadelphia. This summer, everything from the indoor arena to the turnout sheds, houses, barns and everything in between got painted a beautiful shade of white or Derby Down Green, a custom-made color mixed by Sherwin Williams. And while the farm has used Sherwin Williams paints for at least 15 years, this time around, the project cost a lot less than Sally projected.

“We saved a lot of money because we did a lot of painting this summer,” Sally says.
And ever willing to help, Sherwin Williams took a lot of the leg work out of the planning process.

“When they found out we were going to paint the entire farm, they sent representatives out several times to measure and tell us what we needed for the farm,” Sally says. “They brought all our supplies to us too, and if we ran out, they came with more paint right away.”

Now, when you drive up to Derby Down, Inc., “you think wow, this is great,” Sally says with excitement. “Everything looks so fresh. It made a huge difference.”

While the pride of a good paint job certainly helps to sing the praises of the USEF Purchasing Program, it’s just the beginning for this Pennsylvania farm. Pretty much the poster child for the program, they’ve already used it to purchase John Deere equipment, and they’ve also switched their Nextel phones over to the USEF account, maintaining their plan, but with extra savings. I have a feeling they’ll be taking advantage of even more services soon—like the FedEx discount I mentioned casually when I spoke with Sally on the phone.

“FedEx,” Sally asks? “You mean the plan offers FedEx? We already use FedEx! Can you give me the information on that?”

To join the ranks of Derby Down, Inc. and hundreds of other members taking advantage of deep discounts through the USEF Purchasing Program, give us a call and we’ll send you the details. Call toll-free, (877) 576-6872, or visit www.usef.org/content/marketing/groupPurchasing.php. The program is free with your USEF membership, and believe us, there are no strings attached.

To share your USEF purchasing program experience, please don’t hesitate to call Sarah Lane, Public Relations Manager, on (859) 225-6974, or by e-mail at [email protected].