LEXINGTON, Ky. (Monday, June 1, 2015) – The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) today announced that Jeff Burch has been named Senior Vice President of NTRA Advantage, the organization’s group purchasing arm. Burch will assume the new role June 22 and will be based out of the NTRA’s main office in Lexington, Ky.
As head of NTRA Advantage, Burch will oversee the racing industry’s most successful group purchasing plan, responsible for more than $700 million in sales of goods and services since its inception 2002 and resulting in more than $120 million in savings to members and affiliates.
Burch comes to the NTRA after 10 years as Vice President of Advertising at Daily Racing Form, the Thoroughbred industry’s dominant multi-channel media company and publisher of the only daily newspaper in the U.S. dedicated to a single sport.
“Jeff’s experience in sales and marketing will be especially valuable because of his extensive contacts within the horse industry nationally,” said NTRA President and CEO Alex Waldrop. “Daily Racing Form has long been one of our most important partners so Jeff is already well-versed in the NTRA’s operations and will have an immediate impact on the Advantage program.”
Burch joined Daily Racing Form in 2005 having held VP-level leadership roles in advertising, sales and marketing at publications and companies including Advertising Age, Time Inc., Primedia Enthusiast Group, Petersen Publishing and the Hearst Corporation. His career began at People magazine, where he steadily worked his way up the ladder throughout the 1980s.
“NTRA Advantage is one of the great success stories on the business side of racing,” said Burch. “The existing strength with partners and members exemplifies how important this mutually beneficial program has become. Building broader recognition and use of NTRA Advantage across all aspects of the racing world will be an exciting and rewarding challenge.”
NTRA Advantage delivers substantial cost savings—through local dealers—on products and services relevant to their business. The roster of nationally known participating vendors includes John Deere, Nationwide Insurance, Valvoline, UPS, Sherwin-Williams, Office Depot/OfficeMax, SimplexGrinnell and Hagyard Pharmacy.
NTRA members that have realized savings through NTRA Advantage include racetracks, training centers, owners, breeders and trainers. Organizations that have utilized the discount program also extend well beyond the realm of Thoroughbred racing. These 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.
About the NTRA
The NTRA is a broad-based coalition of more than 100 horse racing interests and thousands of individual stakeholders consisting of horseplayers, racetrack operators, owners, breeders, trainers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with increasing the popularity, welfare and integrity of Thoroughbred racing through consensus-based leadership, legislative advocacy, safety and integrity initiatives, fan engagement and corporate partner development. The NTRA owns and manages the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance; NTRA.com; the NTRA Top Thoroughbred and NTRA Top 3-Year-Old weekly media polls; the Eclipse Awards; the National Handicapping Championship; NTRA Advantage, a corporate partner sales and sponsorship program; and HORSE PAC, a federal political action committee. The NTRA has offices in Lexington, Ky., and New York City. NTRA press releases appear on NTRA.com, Twitter (@ntra) and Facebook (facebook.com/1NTRA).