Enterprise Inns is chopping the number of building contractors that maintain its 7,800 pub estate to 25 firms.
The tenanted operator wants a network where each contractor is responsible for up to 500 properties. Each maintenance contract will be worth £2m to £4m per year.
According to building magazine Construction News, 13 contractors have been signed up, and this number will eventually rise to 25.
Enterprise is on the lookout for contractors experienced in the pub market and also those who have infrastructure management experience.
Chosen contractors will go through a three-day induction programme. Enterprise staff will spend a day in the offices of each contractor, helping them to get a better feel for the business.
Enterprise head of property Russell Burton told Construction News: "It was clear that in order to ensure quality across our pub estate, we needed to invest in our relationships with core contractors. That's why we've put in place a new system that will see contractors receiving a full induction programme.
"We hope this will help them feel more confident about our commitment and better understand our business and requirements. By standardising and simplifying partnerships, we hope to significantly improve buying efficiency and increase the quality of the service we receive.
"These integrated partnerships will provide more security for our preferred supply chain. It's a new approach and we intend to work with our contractors as if they were employees."