Cintas Supplier Diversity Initiative Celebrates 10 Years

This month, Cintas Corporation marks the 10-year anniversary of its supplier diversity initiative.  Over the last decade, the initiative has helped Cintas build a robust network of certified diverse suppliers, train minority- and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs) and strengthen the communities in which the company operates.

“Diversity is a key ingredient to the success of our organization because it helps drive a competitive advantage, customer satisfaction, innovation, flexibility, shareholder value, revenue and more,” said Phillip Holloman, President and COO, Cintas. “Our customer base is diverse so it’s crucial that our supply chain is as well. We’re thrilled to mark this important milestone and continue setting new goals for the future.”
 
Over the last decade, Cintas has noted numerous supplier diversity accomplishments, including:
  • Spent over $1.5 billion with diverse suppliers, finishing Fiscal Year 2016 at 11.5 percent
  • Dedicated about 58 percent of diverse spend to minority-owned businesses
  • Allocated about 42 percent of diverse spend to women-owned businesses
  • Trained more than 1,400 suppliers in courses such as “Selling the Cintas Way,” “Meticulous Hiring” and “Leading Negotiations”
  • Formed a Supplier Diversity Executive Steering Committee with 35 executive-level employee-partners who are change agents carrying the message of supplier diversity throughout the organization.
  • Joined and participated in key organizations, including the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council (CAMSC) and the National Veteran Owned Business Association (NaVOBA)
  • Won over 40 awards, including WE USA “100 Corporations of the Year,” MBN USA “Corporate 101: Most Admired Companies,” the Ohio MSDC’s “Class II Corporation of the Year” and 2016 Diversity Plus –Top 30 Champions of Diversity
  • Dave Wheeler, Senior Vice President of Global Supply Chain serves on the Executive board of the NMSDC and chairs the Programs Committee
 
Over the next three years, Cintas’s objectives include increasing savings and total value delivered by suppliers, growing revenue through the use of MWBEs, increasing training and expanding efforts with other diverse populations. Cintas also plans to progressively increase spending with diverse suppliers and develop accountability goals for all divisions to ensure supplier diversity is a top priority across the organization.
 
“Our diverse suppliers are a vital component to our long-term business strategy,” said David Wheeler, Senior Vice President of Global Supply Chain, Cintas. “When we expand and maximize the use of our network of suppliers, everybody wins.”

“Cintas’s commitment to diversity and inclusion has provided significant growth for the RCF Group,” said Carl Satterwhite, President, RCF Group, a workplace solutions company.