April 21, 2021
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
A group of large companies in Philadelphia pledged to increase diversity in their supply chains through a Chamber of Commerce initiative.
A group of more than 50 companies pledged Tuesday to increase opportunities for small, minority-owned businesses and undo racial inequalities in the region's economy through the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce's Diverse Procurement Collaborative.
The Chamber created the partnership under the umbrella of its Recharge & Recover PHL initiative to help businesses bounce back from the pandemic.
The program encourages larger companies like Wawa, the University of Pennsylvania and Comcast to use more Black and brown-led suppliers to increase diversity among their network.
"The Chamber believes that we can’t truly create a strong, equitable economic recovery without a commitment to those Black and brown businesses," Susan Jacobson, the board chair, said during a press conference Tuesday morning.
This announcement came just hours before the conviction of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis Police officer found guilty of second-degree murder after kneeling on George Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes.
"Taking steps to make economic opportunities more inclusive and diverse across Greater Philadelphia isn’t just good for our neighbors, it’s good for business," Jacobson said in a statement. "I am proud to support the Diverse Procurement Collaborative, which aims to drive new revenue to Black- and brown-owned businesses in an equitable way that creates value and opportunity for everyone."
Through the Diverse Procurement Collaborative, regional companies can support the advancement, sustainability, and growth of small, Black- and brown-owned businesses to ensure a more equitable region. Learn more and get involved: https://t.co/xwR06vnr5w #DiversityPHL pic.twitter.com/X3k3NbWaBO
— Chamber for Gtr PHL (@ChamberPHL) April 20, 2021
Participating companies committed to two years of sharing their best practices and resources to increase supplier diversity. They all took a baseline test that will be monitored throughout that time to show each company's progress.
"The DPC is an innovative and collaborative approach to enhance the diverse supplier pipeline of our companies, which represent a wide range of businesses, ideas and energy who call this great region home," said John McAllister, Director of Facility Operations for Wawa. "We look forward to working with our colleagues on this important endeavor and doing our part to increase the utilization of diverse suppliers throughout Greater Philadelphia."
Alexander Perry, Inc.
Bittenbender Construction
Ben Franklin Technology Partners
Black Squirrel Collective
Bradley & Bradley Associates
Brandywine Realty Trust
Burns & McDonnell
CG Global Management Solutions, LLC
ChristianaCare
City Year Philadelphia
COFCO
Comcast
Diverse Force
Drexel University
Eastern Minority Supplier Development Council
Fulton Bank
Independence Blue Cross
JWH & Associates
Kayole Environment Management Enterprise
Leonardo Helicopters
Main Line Health
Montgomery Community College
Mosaic Development Partners, LLC
NexLyte
Partner’s Consulting, Inc
Pennoni
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Philadelphia International Airport
Philadelphia Youth Network
Philly Improv Theater
Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation
PRWT Services, Inc.
Rivers Casino Philadelphia
Roar for Good
SAP
Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr
Saxbys
School District of Philadelphia
SEPTA
Synterra Partners
TeleCaas, LLC
The Nature Conservancy
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Tactile Group
Think Company
UGI Corporation
University City Science Center
University of Pennsylvania
Uplift Philly
Vanguard
Wawa, Inc.
WHYY
1776.VC
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