In the last 10 years alone, the program has experienced a nearly 6-fold increase in spending, surpassing the $350m milestone for the first time in 2011.
John Bryant, Kellogg Company president and chief executive officer, said: “Our company is strengthened by a workforce that’s reflective of the diverse consumers we serve. Similarly, we are also strengthened by working with a diverse supplier base that can help us better understand and address our consumers’ needs. And we know when our suppliers succeed, we succeed.”
The Kellogg Company’s supplier diversity program supports more than 200 companies owned by women, people of colour and disabled veterans. In 2011, Kellogg spent $353m on goods and services from diverse, first-tier suppliers, who supply goods and services directly to Kellogg and its co-manufacturers.
Cathy Kutch, director of supplier diversity, Kellogg Company, said: “Our supplier diversity programme is about more than simply boosting spend or the numbers of women- or minority-owned companies in our supply chain. It’s about partnering with companies to foster mutual success and sustainable growth.”
Last year, the company was honoured with the CEO Leadership Circle of Excellence Award from the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). “The company’s supplier diversity program is unequivocally best in class, and it’s evident that diversity initiatives across the company are supported from the top down,” said Eric Dobyne, Chicago regional director, US Department of Commerce, MBDA. “Kellogg goes above and beyond the status quo to fully incorporate innovation and diversity into its global supply chain.”
Source: Kellogg Company
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