EEI honors winners of its annual Business Diversity Awards
The Edison Electric Institute (EEI) handed out its annual Business Diversity Awards this week, honoring those that have excelled at advancing purchasing opportunities for diverse suppliers.
“This year’s Business Diversity Award winners have shown outstanding leadership through their efforts to provide an inclusive and diverse supplier network,” EEI President Tom Kuhn said. “The significant and positive impact these companies have on our member companies and the customers and communities they serve is vital. Each is deserving of this recognition, and I congratulate them for leading by example.”
DTE Energy walked away with the EEI Business Diversity Excellence Award, which is presented to an EEI member company that demonstrates stellar contributions in diverse supplier inclusion, development, growth, partnership, sustainability, and economic impact. Over the two-year nomination period, DTE Energy’s annual spending with diverse suppliers increased from $600 million in 2021 to roughly $725 million in 2022, which is about 24 percent of the total procurement spend.
DTE Energy’s comprehensive approach to supplier diversity helped to distinguish it from the other entries. Specifically, it stood out for its CEO-signed supplier diversity policy statement and executive-level involvement; the embedded supplier diversity strategy across the enterprise; the formal diverse supplier training that covers how to do business, safety, sustainability, and continuous improvement; the Elevate Mentorship Program, which includes DTE Energy executives among the mentors; and the DTE Supplier Diversity Advisory Council composed of suppliers, area business leaders, and DTE Energy leadership. In addition, DTE has designed and executed diverse supplier symposiums, has mentoring programs, and provides scholarships.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) won the EEI Business Diversity Innovation Award, which goes to the company that has implemented and executed innovative supplier diversity practices. PG&E’s innovative practices include the Technical Assistance Programs (TAPS), which are designed to help diverse suppliers reach next-level performance; its approach to second-tier suppliers; and its robust outreach to diverse suppliers and support of 18 diverse supplier scholarships in 2022. Over the two-year nomination period, PG&E’s spending with diverse suppliers increased from $4.01 billion in 2021 to a company record $4.79 billion in 2022. PG&E’s diverse supplier spend represents more than 38 percent of the company’s total spend.
World Wide Technology (WWT) won the EEI Prime Leadership Award, presented to a prime supplier that exemplifies leadership in diverse supplier inclusion, outreach, and mentoring in its supply chain. WWT was cited for its comprehensive approach to supplier diversity, including its Technician Apprenticeship Program (TAP), which aims to increase the number of diverse candidates for IT employment and to address attrition internally. Another strength is WWT’s All-Star Program, which provides mentorship, access, recognition, and opportunities for WWT’s top diverse suppliers. It was also lauded for its WWT Supplier Diversity Business Impact Committee, which oversees WWT’s supplier diversity business strategy. WWT, a minority-owned company with 7,800 employees across more than 60 countries, spent $668 million with diverse businesses during the nomination period.
Finally, LUZCO Technologies earned the EEI Diverse Supplier Award, which goes to the diverse supplier that performs superior work and that champions diversity, equity, and inclusion. LUZCO Technologies has a track record of providing superior service to its clients and it has a staff that is 67 percent diverse.
The awards were judged by a panel of energy industry professionals. They recognize companies for their outstanding efforts to advance purchasing opportunities for diverse suppliers, including minority-, women-, veteran-, and LGBTQ-owned businesses, within the investor-owned electric power industry.
