"We are very pleased to have Benjamin West join our team on this exciting endeavor," said Rick Adie '75, general manager of the Statler Hotel, an operating unit of Cornell-s School of Hotel Administration. "As the hospitality industry's leading furniture, fixtures and equipment purchasing firm, Benjamin West will play a key role in helping us create an exquisite blend of service and amenities. This is another important step forward as we work to deliver a distinctive experience for our guests from around the world."

Adie, his team and school faculty have been working in partnership with leading hospitality design firm WATG to lay the blueprint for what will be the most sweeping refurbishment in the hotel's 20-year history. Now Benjamin West will work closely with School and WATG leaders to procure materials for the hotel's 153 guest rooms and its public spaces.

"Benjamin West is very excited to be selected to manage purchasing on this extraordinary project and create a superior purchasing solution," says Dede Kassel, director of business development. "We look forward to bringing our expertise in the industry to help Statler Hotel leaders create an exceptional property in this unique market." As the renovation moves forward, the hotel plans to partner with leading hospitality brands whose products will be featured in guest rooms and public spaces. WATG's design team will play a lead role in integrating those products into a coherent whole.

"Companies that join in this effort will receive broad visibility at the property and through a multifaceted outreach program," Adie commented. "This partnership will deliver positive results for all parties." As the gateway to the university and the surrounding Finger Lakes region, the Statler serves a sophisticated clientele that regularly includes global leaders in government, business and academia. Among the property's guests are heads of state, Supreme Court justices, U.S. senators, world-renowned entertainers and CEOs of leading hospitality firms such as Fairmont, Hilton, Marriott and Four Seasons.

The Statler is also a teaching hotel where students apply their classroom learning to practical experience. To learn more about participating in the Statler Hotel renovation project, please contact Meg Keilbach '88, interim director of alumni affairs and development, at mhb7@cornell.edu or Joe Strodel, director of corporate affairs, at j343@cornell.edu.

About The Cornell University School of Hotel Administration

The Cornell University School of Hotel Administration is shaping the global knowledge base for hospitality management through leadership in education, research and industry advancement. The school provides management instruction in the full range of hospitality disciplines, educating the next generation of leaders in the world's largest industry. Founded in 1922 as the nation's first collegiate course of study in hospitality management, the Cornell School of Hotel Administration is recognized as the world leader in its field. For more information, visit www.hotelschool.cornell.edu.

About Benjamin West

Benjamin West is one of the largest FF&E and OS&E purchasing firms. The firm provides a full range of purchasing services, including specification bidding, technical analysis, code compliance and financial management for hotels in the upscale, luxury and mid-market segments. For more information, visit www.benjaminwest.com

Contact: Nancy Knowles, Cornell, Hotel School, 607.255.8702, nsk2@cornell.edu or Dede Kassel, Benjamin West, 303.996.8114, dkassel@benjaminwest.com