SUPPLIER DIVERSITY PROGRAMS Can Have an Impact on Millions
By: Brian Hall & Donovan Casanave, Shell Oil Company
A
s it should, there is currently significant pressure on corporate leadership to develop and implement diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) programs. However, many of these programs tend to be focused internally, working to increase representation within a company’s own workforce. While valuable and important, this represents only a small portion of the potential opportunity. As a result, corporations should take the opportunity and leverage their influence to think and act holistically by also considering their supply chain partners. After all, very similar to climate change initiatives, governments, customers, and investors are increasingly expecting corporations to contribute to the DE&I development goals of society and to improve their support for smaller, underrepresented businesses in the communities in which they operate. By implementing these types of programs, companies can make a positive impact on the communities where their employees work and live, while also helping underrepresented businesses grow. The U.S. Census Bureau reported that about 18 percent of businesses in the country are owned by underrepresented demographics, and yet, recent estimates indicate that these groups make up approximately 40 percent of the population. This dichotomy highlights the ongoing need to continue to invest in these types of businesses. More can, and should, be done to encourage the use of historically underutilized businesses as suppliers to help ensure that the supply chain reflects the ethnic and gender make-up of the communities
36
2021 Fourth Quarter
where we live and work. Not only can more support for underrepresented suppliers positively impact a corporation’s bottom line, it can also help to build those businesses, so that they can have their own positive impact on their community—an impact that sometimes can extend for generations.
Tejas Office Products: Providing New Opportunities Lupe Fraga founded Tejas Office Products in 1962, with the intention of providing Houston-based companies with high-quality office services and products. Through its 40-year collaboration with Shell, the company has grown to become the largest independent office products supplier in the area, benefitting from a bond that has continued to grow stronger every year. As a result of Shell’s concerted effort to support local underutilized businesses and establish long-term relationships, Tejas Office products has been able to develop and thrive, and create more opportunities for its employees and for future generations. For example, despite the progress universities and colleges have made over the last decade to increase diversity in their student bodies, equal access to higher education can still remain a challenge for many underrepresented communities. With the support of secure, well-paying careers with Tejas Office Products, generations of employees have been able to provide their children with the opportuwww.diversityjournal.com
