MLGW spends $76 million with minority, women and local companies

Additional opportunities on tap for businesses at procurement conference

Our Supplier Diversity program reported its highest year-end spending in the 20-year history of the program with roughly $76.4 million – or 33 percent of the utility’s $234 million spend for procurement – to minority, women and locally-owned small businesses (MWBE/LSBs) in 2016.

This marks a $29 million increase from 2015 when the program recorded $47 million – or 37 percent of $127 million – to MWBE/LSBs.

The utility will connect with businesses during its fifth annual Proactive Procurement Conference, March 30, 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at MLGW’s Joyce M. Blackmon Training Center, 4949 Raleigh LaGrange Rd. Business owners will have an opportunity to meet one-on-one with MLGW project managers, end-users and procurement professionals to preview MLGW’s 2017 contracting and purchasing needs.   

MLGW procurement spending includes the purchasing of goods and supplies, contracts and services outside the company. Those services include such things as construction, lawn maintenance and information services consulting to products ranging from utility wires, gas pipes and computer equipment. The Supplier Diversity program’s spending breaks down to nearly $22.8 million to locally-owned small businesses, $10.9 million to women-owned business enterprises and $42.6 million to minority-owned business enterprises.

“Each year our Supplier Diversity representatives reach out to minority, women and local small companies to determine areas where we can do more business with them,” said Jerry Collins Jr., president and CEO of MLGW. “This is our 20^th year of the program and the way we continue to increase our spending each year with MWBE/LSBs reflects our diversity as a company, speaks to our determination to enhance businesses and it has a direct economic impact on the city of Memphis and Shelby County.”

In 2014, MLGW began the Sheltered Market program designed to expand small businesses. This race and gender neutral program shelters any purchase under $100,000 by offering three or more certified local small businesses the opportunity to bid on products or services. A portion of the total spend for the year, the Sheltered Market program also increased an additional $1 million from the year prior to $10.6 million in 2016 and continues to provide growth for local businesses.

MLGW is looking for the following goods and services this year:
Building Construction Contractors; HVAC Contractors; Electrical Contractors; Engineering Services; Training and Development Consultants; Concrete and Asphalt Contractors; Pest Control and Termite Service Providers; Computer Hardware/Software Service Providers; Business Service Consultants; Temporary Employment Providers and Information Services Consulting.

For more information about MLGW’s Supplier Diversity and Sheltered Market programs, visit mlgw.com/supplierdiversity. Register for the conference and view the agenda here.