Taking Creative License - increasing business for minority suppliers

Black Enterprise, June, 2000

The global solutions provider designs, manufactures, markets and services data, voice and video transport, switching/routing and network access systems that are used worldwide by the providers of communications services. It employs more than 7,000 employees in 60 locations worldwide.

Tellabs was named to Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work for in America, a distinction that is largely based on employees' opinions and reflects Tellabs' belief that its success is driven by the talent, diversity and creativity of its people. That belief extends to its suppliers.

WENDYS

The impact of e-commerce is being felt throughout all industries in some form or fashion and will definitely create opportunities as well as challenges for businesses as we go through this learning curve. Even though e-commerce will have a critical influence in our future, for Wendy's and our Supplier Diversity strategy, building long-term relationships is still critical for our success.

Mr. Thomas (Dave) opened the first Wendy's over thirty years ago with a goal to serve the best hamburgers by staying focused on the fundamentals of the business. Those fundamentals of quality food, excellent service, total value and a sparkling clean atmosphere still hold true today. In selecting a supplier to join our team, we base our decision on those same basic business fundamentals. We, of course, determine if there is a need for a specific product or service within our strategic commodity areas, but more importantly we look for the ability of those suppliers to meet our business and relations expectations. Our involvement with our suppliers does not stop there. Wendy's is a team-based company and with any team you look for growth. With our existing suppliers we look for ways either internally or externally to expand our market share, improve quality, increase productivity and reduce cost.

Everyone from our employees, suppliers and franchisees plays an important role in our success. As Mr. Thomas (Dave) so aptly stated, "We can accomplish a lot more as a team than as single individuals. This is a `we' company." Every year new tools, such as e-commerce, will be developed to support operations, etc., but while we integrate new technology into our system, we will always keep an eye on maintaining a strong foundation by executing the basics of our business.

GTE

Spectra Communications Group Makes History with GTE Deal

Dorothy Rollins made telecommunications history last year when her company, Spectra Communications Group, L.L.C. became the first African American-controlled local exchange company in the United States. Spectra achieved this history-making milestone when it agreed to buy 116,149 telephone access lines in Missouri from GTE. The transaction includes 138 GTE employees in Missouri who will work for Spectra. This deal is part of GTE's initiative to sell approximately 1.6 million of its telephone lines in the United States.

Spectra Communications Group is composed of CenturyTel, the Missouri-based Local Exchange Carrier (LEC) and Spectronics Corporation. Led by an African American board of directors with Rollins as board chair, Spectra leverages the experience of all three companies--Spectronics, a full-service telecommunications contractor that specializes in systems design, engineering and construction for voice, data and cable networks, CenturyTel, a large, experienced local exchange service provider, and LEC is a smaller but experienced provider of local telephone service in Missouri. Collectively, these telecommunications experts have positioned Spectra to make a keen difference in the marketplace.