WASHINGTON, Sept. 25, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) awarded 42 leading corporations in supplier diversity during its Million Dollar Club breakfast at the 2013 USHCC National Convention in Chicago, IL.
"The 2013 Million Dollar Club honorees have all made substantial investments in the Hispanic business community. They all recognize that diversifying their supply chain with Hispanic enterprises is critical to success in today's American economy" says Javier Palomarez, USHCC President & CEO. "Their procurement decisions are creating jobs, spurring economic development, and improving communities throughout the nation. Many of these companies have been acknowledged here before and this year's recognition is a tribute to the powerful role of collaboration between Hispanic businesses and great American corporations in our economic recovery."
The Million Dollar Club was established to recognize corporations and procurement executives who actively demonstrate an unwavering commitment to Hispanic Business Enterprises (HBEs) through their work with Hispanic suppliers. This year's honorees invested a minimum of $25 million to upward of $1 billion in Hispanic-owned businesses.
$25M - $50M category winners
• BMW North America
• Enterprise Holdings
• Hilton Worldwide
• Honda
• MGM Resorts International
• Sodexo
• WellPoint
$50M - $75M category winners
• Accenture
• Merck
• Unisys
• UPS
$75M - $100M category winners
• Alcatel-Lucent
• BASF
• Marriot International Inc
• MillerCoors
$100M - $250M category winners
• BP
• Comcast/NBC Universal
• IBM Corporation
• Kaiser Permanente
• Pfizer
• Sempra Energy
• Shell Oil
• Target
• The Coca-Cola Company
• Wells Fargo
$250M - $500M category winners
• Bank of America
• General Electric
• General Motors
• Hewlett – Packard
• Johnson & Johnson
• JPMorgan Chase & Co.
• PepsiCo
• Southern California Edison
• The Kroger Company
• Toyota Motor North America
• USPS
$500M category winners
• AT &T
• Avis Budget Group
• Ford Motor Company
• Sprint Nextel Corporation
• SUPERVALU Inc.
• Verizon
"These corporations stand out among their colleagues as champions of supplier diversity, and demonstrate an unwavering commitment to increasing opportunities for Hispanic businesses in America," said USHCC Chairman Marc Rodriguez. "We look forward to our continued partnership as we seek to open new doors for our emerging Hispanic business community."
About the 2013 USHCC National Convention
The 2013 National Convention of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) is the largest networking venue for Hispanic businesses in America. This year, the USHCC takes its National Convention to the "Windy City" – Chicago, IL. The event will take place September 15-17, 2013 at the iconic Hilton Chicago. Chicago is a hub for international and domestic commerce, trade and tourism, and a melting pot of culture, cuisine, art and entertainment – offering a premier backdrop for our Convention. It also serves as a model for small and Hispanic-owned businesses bolstering the economic core of a major city and setting the pace for our nation's business future.
About the USHCC
Founded in 1979, the USHCC actively promotes the economic growth and development of Hispanic entrepreneurs and represents the interests of over 3.2 million Hispanic owned businesses across the United States that contribute in excess of $465 billion to the American economy each year. It also serves as the umbrella organization for more than 200 local Hispanic chambers and business associations in the United States and Puerto Rico. For more information, visit www.USHCC.com