SAN FRANCISCO, April 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has been selected as one of the "Top 50 Organizations for Multicultural Business Opportunities" for the first time by DiversityBusiness.com, the nation's leading multicultural B2B online website.
Supplier diversity leaders from PG&E and 49 other major U.S. corporations attended an award ceremony on April 25 in Las Vegas to receive the distinct honor of becoming part of the Div50. The Div50 is comprised of companies with a strong commitment to providing business opportunities to diverse business owners throughout the nation.
"The diversity practices of the Div50 has changed the course of economic inclusion and, thereby, the world as we know it," said Kenton Clarke, Chief Executive Officer of DiversityBusiness.com. "This esteemed, elite list is coveted by the most successful companies in the United States and has become the most recognized and respected in the country. PG&E and the other Div50 companies truly differentiate themselves in the market place at a time when diversity is on the rise."
According to DiversityBusiness.com, over 1,300,000 businesses were asked to answer 10 questions about diversity business in the marketplace. Their answers were based on factors such as volume, consistency and quality business opportunities granted to women and minority-owned companies.
"We are honored to receive this distinguished recognition for our strong commitment to supplier diversity," said Gun Shim, Vice President of Supply Chain Management at PG&E. "Creating opportunities for diverse suppliers helps invigorate the diverse communities we serve. It also enhances our ability to provide safe, reliable and affordable gas and electric services to the 15 million customers we serve throughout Northern and Central California."
PG&E recently announced that it achieved an all-time high of over $2 billion in spending with diverse suppliers in 2012, accounting for 38.8 percent of its total procurement budget. PG&E's total spending on minority-owned business enterprises also reached an all-time high of $1.3 billion, an increase of $262 million or 25.7 percent over 2011.
One beneficiary of PG&E's focus on diversity is RHA, Inc., a certified minority-owned business that implements and administrates energy efficiency programs for PG&E, including energy audits, home and business weatherization, customer energy education, energy training, and direct installation of energy efficiency measures.
"RHA has grown substantially since partnering with PG&E. Employing over 360 staff, RHA has six offices throughout California, four of which are located in PG&E's territory. Our comprehensive subcontractor network of 35 businesses employs over 1,800 employees throughout Northern and Central California alone and includes 10 minority and women-owned businesses," said Craig Smith, Chief Executive Officer of RHA, Inc. "Our long-standing partnership with PG&E has been pivotal in providing diverse communities and small businesses with energy efficiency measures and financial savings."
For information on PG&E's supplier diversity program, or to learn how to apply to become a certified diverse supplier, visit www.pge.com/supplierdiversity/.
About DiversityBusiness.com
Launched in 1999, DiversityBusiness is the largest organization of privately owned businesses throughout the United States that provide goods and services to Fortune 1000 companies, government agencies, and colleges and universities. DiversityBusiness provides research and data collection services for diversity including the "Top 50 Organizations for Multicultural Business Opportunities", "Top 500 Diversity Owned Companies in America", and others. Its e-magazine reaches over 3,000,000 readers, an e-newsletter that reaches 2.4 million, and website visitors of 1.2 million a month. It is a leading provider of diversity management tools.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation's cleanest energy to 15 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/about/newsroom/ or www.pgecurrents.com.
SOURCE Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)