For Immediate Release

November 2, 2016

Press Contact: Phil Thurston

(212) 944-2430 x127

National Minority Supplier Development Council

Recognizes Corporations for Commitment to

Minority Supplier Diversity and Development

IBM Named National Corporation of the Year

At NMSDC Annual Conference in Chicago

At its annual Conference and Business Opportunity Exchange, held this year in Chicago, October 23-26, the National Minority Supplier Development Council named IBM recipient of the coveted National Corporation of the Year honor for its exceptional programs and long-standing commitment to promoting minority supplier diversity and development. IBM was honored at a Gala awards dinner recognizing member corporations and minority business enterprises (MBEs) for their contributions to NMSDC’s goals in advancing business opportunities for minority-owned companies of all sizes.

NMSDC’s Conference is the nation’s premier forum on minority supplier development. More than 6,000 corporate CEOs, procurement executives and supplier diversity professionals from the top multinational companiesand international organizations, as well as leading Asian, Black, Hispanic and Native American business owners,gathered to re-energize their collective efforts to develop and advocate for more vigorous participation by minority-owned firms in global corporate supply chains. For the host city, Chicago, the economic impact generated by the Conference is considerable: $7.5 million total, including an estimate of more than $1 million in state and local taxes and 1,400+ jobs supported.

The NMSDC Corporation of the Year Award acknowledges IBM’s world-class leadership in categories including: Policies (supplier diversity is a guiding principle within the corporation); Leadership and Engagement; Procurement (showing increases year-over-year); MBE Development (providing development and contracts to MBEs); International Programs (providing global opportunities for MBEs); and Influence (demonstrating leadership in supplier diversity to other corporations). To give just one example of its robust commitment to minority supplier development, in 2015 IBM spent more than $2 billion with NMSDC-Certified MBEs.

Other corporations receiving honors for their achievements in minority supplier development included:

  • In the Gazelle category, recognizing rapid growth, there were 11 companies that had growth rates at a pace of 30% or greater, with an aggregate spend of more than $7 billion with MBEs. These companies are Citi, Kaiser Permanente, Bristol-MyersSquibb, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Cummins, Lear, The Kroger Company, Shell, Intel and Delta Air Lines.
  • In the Development category, recognizing development programs with particular emphasis on professional services and non-traditional categories, are Toyota and General Motors.
  • In the Tier 2 category, recognizing corporate programs that strongly support second tier suppliers, are Walmart and FCA – Chrysler.
  • In the Financial category are corporations that have demonstrated a corporate initiative to provide access to capital solutions and unique financial arrangements to minority suppliers to facilitate their business growth and to the expansion of job creation and job retention. Bank of America is honored this year.
  • The Global Link category recognizes corporations that have a robust global supplier diversity and development program. This year’s awardees are Johnson & Johnson, and Johnson Controls.
  • For the Innovation category, NMSDC recognizes a new corporate method, initiative, or process to accelerate and positively impact minority supplier development – with particular emphasis on professional services and non-traditional categories. Honorees this year are Procter & Gamble, AT&T, Comcast and the Ford Motor Company.

These 22 corporations all demonstrated remarkable leadership in supplier diversity, with a combined $38 billion in spend opportunities, shared by more than 2,000 diverse suppliers, spread across 13 industries!

NMSDC also named IBM’s Michael Robinson itsMinority Supplier Development Leader of the Year.This prestigious award honors an individual who recognizes the importance of developing and nurturing partnerships with diverse suppliers and the potential for those relationships to drive change and foster inclusion. Michael Robinson,Program Director, Global Supplier Division and Supplier Connection, has worked to ensure IBM’s Global Supplier Diversity Program is the best in the industry. He has led a team that has advanced or created programs which support the utilization of minority businesses not only within the IBM Corporation, but at other major corporations. This commitment is unparalleled in the industry and the result has been felt not only in the U.S., but around the globe.

Said Joset Wright-Lacy, NMSDC’s president, “Congratulations to our corporate members, and to the individuals who work to advance minority supplier diversity and development. NMSDC is proud and honored to work alongside these leaders in the effort to increase opportunities for minority-owned businesses in national and global supply chains.”

About NMSDC

The National Minority Supplier Development Council advances business opportunities for certified minority business enterprises and connects them to corporate members. One of the country's leading corporate membership organizations, NMSDC was chartered in 1972 to provide increased procurement and business opportunities for minority businesses of all sizes. The NMSDC Network includes a National Office in New York and 23 affiliate regional councils across the country. The network also includes five international partner organizations located in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, China and South Africa.

To meet the growing need for supplier diversity, NMSDC matches its more than 12,000 certified minority-owned businesses to our network of more than 1,750 corporate members who wish to purchase their products, services and solutions. NMSDC, a unique and specialized player in the field of minority business enterprise, is proud of its unwavering commitment to advance Asian, Black, Hispanic and Native American suppliers in a globalized corporate supply chain. For more information, visit

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