To Compete During Economic Uncertainty, Minority Suppliers Must Network, Form Alliances and Conquer the Internet

Black Enterprise, June, 2001 by April W. Klimley

The Supplier Diversity Program and Corporate Business Services (CBS), the shared services organization responsible for procurement at JPMorgan Chase, work together to identify opportunities and the suppliers that can best fulfill them. For example, last year United Building Maintenance Corporation (UBM), a participant in the SDP, won a five-year, $51.6 million general cleaning contract with the company's Real Estate Business Services group, a division of CBS. Headed by the father and son team of Oliver and Sharad Madison, UBM maintains JPMorgan Chase's retail branch network of over 200 locations in New York City. Founded in 1991 with 40 employees, this New York-based full-service janitorial cleaning company has over 600 employees serving the New York tri-state area.

Corporate vice chairmen David Coulter and Donald Layton serve as co-chairs of the program's Supplier Diversity Council. "Our progress over the last seven years has been tremendous," says Layton, "and we look forward to the year 2001 as an opportunity to raise our program to greater heights." Adds Coulter, "Our goal is to further build our relationships with minority- and women-owned firms, and to set new standards for supplier diversity programs in our industry."

For more information visit our website at www.chase.com/cdg/supplierdi versity.

Nordstrom

Nordstrom is a fashion specialty retailer of apparel, shoes and accessories for men and women with 122 store locations and sales of 5.4 billion.

This Supplier Diversity program was established in 1989.

Key elements of program: to reflect diversity of the communities it serves through its store locations and as a business partner with thousands of vendors.

Products and services purchased: a wide variety of goods and services for retail sale and new store construction.

Dollars spent in 2000: $576 million with minority and women suppliers.

Certification is required. Types accepted: NMSDC, government agencies.

Contact: Barbara Best Valdez, Supplier Diversity Program Director, 206/373-4382 or Claude Greene, Corporate Diversity Program Coordinator, 206/373-4383.

Philip Morris Companies Inc.

The Philip Morris Companies - which includes Kraft Foods, Miller Brewing Company and Philip Morris U.S.A. - is strongly committed to supplier diversity because it is good for business. Minority and women suppliers, like small businesses in general, are often more innovative, faster and flexible than large companies. Having access to goods and services from the best and widest variety of suppliers is just common sense.

The Company's commitment to supplier diversity goes back to the early 1970s, when we began to work with minority vendors. In the early 1980s, we formalized the Supplier Diversity Program to partner with diverse businesses.

We are proud to have one of the strongest supplier diversity records in the country, and intend to continue and grow the program. In 1999, purchases from diverse suppliers exceeded $1 billion and Philip Morris increased spending to $1.3 billion last year.