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Jacksonville University, W.B. Mason Form Strategic Partnership Providing Discounts to JU, Students, Faculty, Staff, Alumni and Friends

June 26, 2020


Jacksonville University, W.B. Mason Form Strategic Partnership Providing Discounts to JU, Students, Faculty, Staff, Alumni and Friends featured image

Van Wagner announced today a new innovative partnership between Jacksonville University and W.B. Mason, a leader in business products and services. W.B. Mason will become the Exclusive and Official Office Supply Provider of Jacksonville University.

The partnership has an economic impact of over $3.5 Million over 10 years. In addition, W.B. Mason will be making a philanthropic donation to the University, and will provide significant savings, internships and educational programs for students, and business product discounts to students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the university. Outside of university and student-driven initiatives, W.B. Mason will become the Exclusive and Official Office Supply Provider of JU Athletics, receive branding throughout campus and athletic venues, integration into marketing platforms, and an on-campus presence at events throughout the year.

“Jacksonville University is ecstatic to enter into this long-term strategic partnership with W.B. Mason,” said Scott Bacon, Senior Vice President for Marketing, Communications and Advancement. “This innovative approach allows us to find operational efficiencies, generate new revenue streams and provide unique opportunities for our students. We are excited to be developing these types of dynamic relationships with our partners from Van Wagner.”

The cross-campus relationship between W.B. Mason and Jacksonville University was cultivated by Van Wagner’s campus-wide division on behalf of the university, a natural extension as Van Wagner serves as multimedia rights holder for the Dolphins. Van Wagner worked with W.B. Mason to build a relationship, allowing the institution comprehensive engagement throughout both campus and athletics.

“There is tremendous value in campus-wide partnerships, like W.B. Mason, and this is just the start of building the corporate partners program at Jacksonville University. We are dedicated to the campus-wide objectives that bring a win-win relationship to all parties.” Mark Devine, Senior Vice President of Campus-Wide Partnerships for Van Wagner.

This partnership will yield substantial cost savings on the university’s most commonly purchased business product items. In comparison with list prices, contract costs are those negotiated with the university and ordered by departments and offices through JU’s centralized ordering system. Additional non-contract supplies will also be discounted off list price for the university.

Additionally, all Jacksonville University students, alumni and friends will be offered affinity program discounts off list prices. All sales from the affinity program will result in an additional rebate back to Jacksonville University. Discounted pricing for affinity groups is available by emailing anthony.zack@wbmason.com to setup an account.

“Our partnership with Jacksonville University will help us tremendously in this market place. All our customers and potential customers know JU and to partner with such a fantastic institution will only help strengthen our brand and presence within North Florida. We are committed to the community we serve and foster personal relationships with all of our customers. That’s how W. B. Mason has done business for over 100 years and will continue to do so. This is a strategic partnership for us and a great way for customers to know that Jacksonville is now part of Masonville.” Peter Tripodi, Director of Corporate Accounts for WB Mason.

Jacksonville will gain efficiencies working with W.B. Mason by placing orders electronically via the university’s e-Procurement connection, which provides the university community with an easy-to-use self-service buying approach via a “punch-out catalog.” Past order histories and preferences are instantly accessible to university employees, product returns can be processed online or at your desk, and live online assistance is available when ordering. Jacksonville University offices will also benefit from next-day delivery on all orders.

“This partnership, between two tremendous institutions, is a shining example of what can happen when vision and a commitment to innovative solutions come together and President Cost and his team at Jacksonville, and W.B. Mason should be applauded,” said Mike Palisi Executive Vice President of Van Wagner. “This is a defining moment for higher education with its critical need to find strategically aligned revenue and resource solutions. Through campus-wide solutions, Van Wagner seeks out innovative opportunities with companies looking to strengthen their engagement with university students, faculty, staff, alumni and the local community. With the addition of Mark Devine and the experience of our senior team developing similar solutions across a variety of business categories with our university partners, Van Wagner looks forward to announcing a number of campus-wide partnerships across the country in the weeks ahead.”

About Jacksonville University

 

Named an “America’s Best College” in the south for more than 10 consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report, Jacksonville University is a premier private institution in northeast Florida. Founded in 1934, the University offers more than 100 majors, minors, and programs, including in-demand degrees in Nursing, Business, Biology and Marine Science, Engineering, Finance, as well as those in the more contemporary and specialized fields of Aviation, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Film, Animation, and Sports Business. Jacksonville University is located in a beautiful riverfront setting in suburban Jacksonville, across the St. Johns River from downtown and just minutes from the Atlantic Ocean. The 240-acre campus includes a half-mile of riverfront, oak-lined paths, and a mix of historic and new campus buildings.

About Van Wagner

Van Wagner is a wholly owned subsidiary of Van Wagner Group LLC that creates, advises, and sells on behalf of world-class teams, leagues, brands, properties, and colleges. An innovator in the sports and media business, Van Wagner is a global leader in high-impact broadcast visible signage throughout the MLB, NBA, NCAA, and the highest levels of international soccer, sponsorships sales, premium ticketing, college multi-media rights, and in-venue content production at the world’s biggest sporting events. www.vanwagner.com

 

About W.B. Mason

W.B. Mason is a Family Owned American business products company headquartered in Brockton, Massachusetts and is the second largest privately held dealership in the U.S. and the fourth largest in the world. The company was founded in 1898 and started out selling rubber stamps and stencils for the Brockton shoe industry; it has since expanded into office supplies, personal protective equipment, janitorial products, break room supplies, coffee, water, foodservice supplies, custom printing, and much more. Known for their world famous trucks and personal delivery W.B. Mason delivers to over 70 locations across the country with 5 locations in Florida alone.

 

Media Contacts:

 

Jacksonville University: Jim Mullay, Editorial Services Coordinator – jmullay@ju.edu (904) 256-7153

Van Wagner: Mike Palisi, Executive Vice President – mpalisi@vanwagner.com (212) 699-8627

W.B. Mason: Matt Rogers, VP of Marketing – matthew.rogers@wbmason.com (508) 889-5987