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City opens for business

Doing business with North Bay will soon become demystified when the city opens up the mechanics of its purchasing process to current and aspiring vendors. Coun.
Doing business with North Bay will soon become demystified when the city opens up the mechanics of its purchasing process to current and aspiring vendors.

Coun. George Maroosis announced today that a “reverse” trade show will be held in the city hall lobby between 9 and noon Friday, April 2.

Procurement staff from the city and its boards, agencies and commissions will be on hand, Maroosis said, to provide information.

“Business people will come into city hall and they will be able to acquire information about what goods and services we purchase, what the process is and how they would be able to do business with the city of North Bay to take advantage of that almost $30 million in business that is done each year in the area,” Maroosis said.

That’s good news for the taxpayer, Maroosis said, because it’s “fiscally responsible” and transparent.

“Not only will all citizens and businesses have an opportunity to see just how we do business, but we’re hoping to attract new vendors and the more vendors you have and the easier it is to do business in the municipal sector, we hope, of course that translates into a competitive process where everyone will feel welcome and have the opportunity to do business with us,” Maroosis said.

Purchasing manager Jim Manning and his staff “have inspired the mayor and council to come up with a very new novel idea” which has never been tried in the city before, Maroosis said.

“The idea has never come forward to council before,” Maroosis said, “and though it’s an excellent idea, we’ve just never thought of it.”

Maroosis said there’s one other area he’d like to expand the concept into.

“That is how do you get a job with the city, is our human resources department transparent?”