The Edison Electric Institute (EEI) 32nd Annual Supplier
Diversity Conference is going on this week (June 2-5, 2015) at the Albuquerque
Marriott Pyramid Hotel in Albuquerque ,
NM . Hosted by PNM Resources, an
energy holding company based in New Mexico, this conference attracted over 300
registrants including 34 public utilities companies from around the country,
and 16 of their prime suppliers.
EEI is the association that represents U.S.
investor-owned electric companies. Their members operate in all 50 states and
the District of Columbia ,
accounting for $90 billion in annual capital expenditures. Supplier diversity spend
by the utilities in this sector represent several billion dollars. This
proactive business practice provides companies owned by ethnic minorities,
women, and/or service disabled veterans with equal access to purchasing
opportunities.
With the changing U.S. demographics companies are
increasingly adopting robust supplier diversity programs and pioneering public utilities
like Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) are leading this charge. In 2013, the California based company
spent approximately $1.5 billion with minority-owned business enterprises, the
highest for the company to date. To accomplish this milestone in supplier
diversity excellence, PG&E worked with 356 unique minority suppliers.
EEI’s annual Supplier Diversity Conference offers their
members a matchless opportunity to identify potential new diverse vendors in a
pre-competitive setting while also helping diverse vendors to better understand
the opportunities and challenges of working with the utilities sector. Conference
speakers include industry veterans like EEI’s chief economist, Dr. John
Caldwell exploring how the state of the U.S. and world economies influence the
energy industry; Steve Dukes, Sr. Supplier Diversity Coordinator, CenterPoint
Energy, discussing the intricate nuances of the utility vendor relationship;
and Carter Cherry, Director of Supply Chain and General Services, PNM Resources,
sharing insights regarding vendor compliance, operating procedures, and other
supply chain strategies needed to succeed.
To learn more, stay tuned to MBE magazine’s videoprofiles highlighting conference attendees.
Nadine S. Bartholomew
is the principal consultant of N. S. Bartholomew Consulting, a strategic
communications firm specializing in utilities diversity.
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