- Ford Motor Company purchased a record $4.2 billion in products and services from its minority suppliers in 2007.
- Purchases from women-owned suppliers broke the billion dollar barrier with a record $1.2 billion in 2007.
- Combined tier one spend with minority and women suppliers totaled $2.1 billion.
DEARBORN, Mich., June 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ford Motor Company North
America set a new record in purchasing spend from minority- and women-owned
business enterprises (MWBE) in 2007. Ford purchased a record $4.2 billion in
goods and services from tier one minority-owned suppliers and broke through
the billion-dollar barrier by spending $1.2 billion with tier one women-owned
suppliers.
Ford's tier one suppliers also achieved an all-time record high, sourcing
a combined $2.1 billion with tier two minority- and women-owned business
enterprises. In 2006, Ford purchased a combined $5.4 billion in goods and
services from its minority- and women-owned business enterprises, including
direct spending of $1.8 billion in purchases at the tier two level.
"Despite tough economic conditions, Ford continues to maintain leadership
in supplier diversity development," said Tony Brown, group vice president,
Global Purchasing. "Ford's diverse suppliers are an important component of
the company's goal in delivering profitable growth through supplier
contributions to quality, innovation and market competitiveness."
The 2007 increase reflects continued efforts to sustain and grow
production and non-production business with minority- and women-owned business
enterprises within the company's base of strategic suppliers in Ford's Aligned
Business Network (ABF). The ABF program emphasizes stronger collaboration
between Ford and its suppliers and provides greater opportunity for minority-
and women-owned business enterprises to build scale, achieve profitable growth
and become sustainable enterprises over the long term.
Last year, Ford expanded its ABF network, which now includes 10 minority-
and women-owned suppliers. These ABF suppliers include:
-- Bing Group
-- Dakkota
-- Devon Industrial Group
-- Evigna
-- East West Industrial Engineering (EWIE)
-- Flex-N-Gate
-- Global Parts & Maintenance
-- Gonzalez Production Systems
-- Grupo Antolin Wayne
-- Prime Wheel
"This is about economic empowerment and working with our minority- and
women-owned suppliers to operate profitably together," said Armando Ojeda,
director, Supplier Diversity Development, Global Purchasing. "Ford also
understands the importance of maintaining a supply base that reflects its
customer base."
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn,
Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six
continents. With about 244,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the
company's core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln,
Mercury, Volvo, Mazda, and until completion of their sale, Jaguar Land Rover.
The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For
more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.
SOURCE Ford Motor Company North America
