Every July, Black Enterprise magazine identifies the “40 Best Companies for Diversity.” In addition, we compile sublists for the “Best Companies for Senior Management Diversity,” “Best Companies for Supplier Diversity,” “Best Companies for Workforce Diversity,” and “Best Companies for Board Diversity.” These “sublists” include companies that are strong in one particular category of diversity. It is possible that a company might make the sublist and not the main list.
While minority representation in senior management reflects a commitment to diversity at every level of a company, from entry level to the corporate suite, diversity professionals stress that spending with minority suppliers is the diversity function with the greatest potential economic benefit to minority communities. This is why in order to determine the 40 Best Companies for Diversity, a heavier weighting was given to scores in the supplier diversity category.
The companies that made the Supplier Diversity sublist outperformed other corporations in the percentage of total procurement dollars spent with companies owned by African Americans and members of other ethnic minority groups. We will also highlight these companies in the Diversity Watch section in upcoming issues of BE
. Check back Friday to BlackEnterprise.com for our Best Companies for Employee Diversity.Click on the Vending Opportunities column below for more information about supplier diversity at a specific company.
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15 Best in Supplier Diversity
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| Company | Vending Opportunities |
| AT&T Inc., San Antonio, TX | Telecommunications, Telephony & Wireless |
| Burger King Holdings, Miami, FL | Food Services |
| Chrysler L.L.C., Auburn Hills, MI | Automotive |
| Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, GA | Beverage |
| Eastman Kodak Co., Rochester, NY | Imaging |
| McDonald’s Corp., Oak Brook, IL | Food Services |
| MGM Mirage, Las Vegas, NV | Hotels, Casinos, and Resorts |
| Pepco Holdings, Inc., Washington, DC | Utilities |
| Pepsi Bottling Group, Inc., Somers, NY | Beverage Distribution |
| PG&E Corporation, San Francisco, CA | Utilities |
| Sempra Energy, San Diego, CA | Utilities |
| Toyota Motor North America, Inc., New York, NY | Automotive |
| United Parcel Service, Inc., Atlanta, GA | Package Delivery |
| Xerox Corporation, Norwalk, CT | Computer and Office Equipment |
| Yum! Brands, Inc., Louisville, KY | Food Services |
To see all 40 companies on The 2008 BLACK ENTERPRISE Best Companies for Diversity pick up a copy of Black Enterprise Magazine’s July 2008 issue. —THE EDITORS
Our Methodology:
The 2008 BLACK ENTERPRISE Best Companies for Diversity were determined by analyzing the responses to a survey of major corporations to determine investments in key diversity activities. BE engaged in a comprehensive outreach effort to the CEOs and diversity executives of the top 1,000 publicly traded companies and the diversity executives for the 50 leading global companies with strong U.S. operations. BE‘s corporate diversity survey focused primarily on activities related to the participation of African Americans and members of other ethnic minority groups.
Upon receipt of all surveys, BE performed a quantitative assessment of all corporate respondents in each survey category. Based on the analysis, each company was provided a score per category, which was compiled into a final survey score.
In addition, the editorial staff reviewed all surveys and performed follow-up validation including contacting corporate diversity officers, senior managers, minority suppliers, and third-party experts. The final scores, along with the results of reporting and research conducted by the BE editorial staff, were used to determine the 40 Best Companies for Diversity.