The National Thoroughbred Racing Association has announced that its NTRA Advantage group purchasing program will offer all its sales materials and communications in both English and Spanish in 2013.
As part of the new policy, the NTRA Advantage portion of the NTRA.com website will have a companion section in Spanish and those who contact NTRA Advantage via phone or e-mail (equinebenefits@ntra.com) will be able to converse in Spanish. An NTRA spokesman said there are no plans currently to expand the bilingual program to other NTRA materials, communications, or website.
"Increasingly, horse industry purchasing decision makers throughout the country speak Spanish as their first language," said Bryan Pettigrew, senior vice president of NTRA Advantage. "To make it as easy as possible for all industry members to participate in our many Advantage program benefits, we will begin communicating in both English and Spanish to all members."
NTRA members that can realize savings through NTRA Advantage include racetracks, owners, breeders, and trainers. Equine organizations using the program include the American Quarter Horse Association, the U.S. Equestrian Federation, the U.S. Trotting Association, Harness Tracks of America, and the U.S. Polo Association.
Among the national vendors that offer products and services through local dealers at reduced costs through NTRA Advantage are Valvoline, John Deere, UPS, Sherwin-Williams, OfficeMax, and Hagyard Pharmacy.
In 2012, the NTRA Advantage program eclipsed the $100 million mark in savings to the horse industry since the inception of the group purchasing arm in 2002. In all, NTRA Advantage sales of goods and services since 2002 exceed $600 million.
