This year the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) awarded Chrysler Motors with its highest honor. In being chosen as its corporation of the year, the NMSDC has acknowledged the productive efforts on the part of Chrysler Motors to improve the overall participation of Asian, Black, Hispanic, and Native-American suppliers into the global corporate supply chain.

 

Chrysler has a 31-year history of being a top-notch company in the area of supplier diversity. Nearly 17 percent of its products, services, and solutions come from diverse suppliers, which equates to 5 billion dollars in company spending alone from these sources. Chrysler also pioneered an innovative multi-tier program that ensures diversity in supplier spending by requiring all suppliers down the line to monitor for diverse supply spending.

 

Eighty-five percent of its Tier 1 suppliers do business with certified MBEs, equivalent to $3.1 billion in spending. Its Tier 2 transformational program has improved the spend with the 160 high focus suppliers by??more than 750 percent, with $985 million reported in 2013.

 

“Chrysler has a long history of commitment to minority supplier development,” says NMSDC president Joset Wright-Lacy. “Their development initiatives for minority suppliers, coupled with the billions of dollars the automaker spends with certified minority business enterprises (MBEs) distinguishes the company from its corporate peers. We are proud to honor Chrysler with our most prestigious award.”

 

Chrysler has produced 34 joint ventures through its development programs. In addition, the company also offers MBE’s the opportunity to participate in its exemplary Lean Manufacturing training program. This sharing of information also gives MBE’s a significant edge in manufacturing products, and increases efficiency as well.

 

Annually, more than 3,000 MBEs attend its Matchmaker program, which has had a $2.1 billion impact.

 

“Chrysler Group is as committed as ever to creating a diverse and sustainable supply base that directly reflects our customers,” says Tom Finelli, vice president, NAFTA Purchasing and Supplier Quality,

 

Chrysler Group LLC. “Our commitment to diversity is deeply rooted and fully engages our entire team, including our extended enterprise partners. This enables us to better understand and satisfy — perhaps even to better anticipate — the tastes and needs of diverse customers and communities.”