USPS Named Top Agency for Multicultural Business Opportunities
The U.S. Postal Service has been voted the best government agency for providing multicultural business opportunities, according to a recent survey of more than 750,000 business owners.
DiversityBusiness.com — a multicultural business-to-business website and sponsor of the survey — presents the award each year to companies and government agencies that consistently buy the most products and services from multicultural businesses and sustain the most mutually beneficial business relationships with multicultural suppliers.
"I am extremely proud of our supply management employees and everyone at the Postal Service who is involved with improving business relationships with our diverse supplier community," said Susan Brownell, vice president of the supply management department at USPS. "This recognition highlights our dedication and focus on maintaining a diverse and agile supplier base that delivers best value to the Postal Service."
Annual contracts with small businesses totaled nearly $3 billion in fiscal year 2010. Contracts with minority-owned businesses exceeded $358 million and contracts with women-owned businesses surpassed $561 million. The Postal Service actively participates in supplier outreach events for small, minority and woman-owned businesses , which typically draw thousands of participants.
In July 2010, Black Enterprise magazine highlighted the Postal Service as one of the "Top 40 Best Companies for Diversity," and for the fourth consecutive year, the Postal Service was included in Hispanic Business magazine's annual "Diversity Elite 60" list of best companies for Hispanics.