Cintas Corporation announced the successful completion of its inaugural three-day business retreat in Orlando, Florida. The event brought together key procurement executives from leading corporations and minority and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs) to establish a platform to generate meaningful conversations. The goal was to prepare MWBEs for future opportunities by creating 6-12 month action plans.

“Getting diverse suppliers and procurement leaders in the same room is critical for developing and sustaining economic inclusion,” said Pamela Brailsford, Senior Director of Supplier Diversity and Sustainability, Cintas Corporation. “With our business retreat, we aimed to offer an intimate setting to encourage meaningful conversations between organizations and MWBEs. We’re already identifying companies for next year’s event.”

The retreat, created and managed by The Abercrumbie Group, consisted of guest speaker presentations focused on relevant business topics such as human capital, innovation, and operational excellence. In addition, the retreat included one-on-one planning meetings between key procurement decision makers and MWBEs. Attendees included MWBE Partners, d.e. Foxx & Associates, CB Tech, and Hightowers Petroleum along with Marriott, Jones Lang LaSalle, Johnson Controls, Brown-Forman, Kellogg’s, National Roofing Partners, Skanska USA Building, University of Cincinnati and World Emblem.

“As an MBE, I found it extremely helpful to conduct one-on-one discussions with corporations,” said Ken Cartwright, Vice President of Operations, XLC Services.  “The retreat gave us better interactions than we’ve experienced at traditional tradeshows.”

“The retreat created an engaging and relaxed environment that supported relationship-building with qualified MWBEs,” said Bill Miller, Chief Operating Officer, Supply Chain Management & Procurement, Jones Lang LaSalle. “We’re continually focused on economic inclusion and enjoyed being able to connect with these businesses on a deeper level.”

For more information about supplier diversity at Cintas, visit www.cintascsr.com/.