Walmart Named #1 Retailer Leader Among "Top 50 Organizations for Multicultural Business Opportunities"

Southport, CT, June 06, 2015 --(PR.com)-- DiversityBusiness.com –today announced the “Top 50 Organizations for Multicultural Business Opportunities. Over 1,500,000 diversity business owners participated in an online election to determine the “Top” fifty organizations and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. was named the #1 retail leader for providing business opportunities to diverse business owners throughout the United States. This is the 15th consecutive year Wal-Mart has ranked among the "Div50", ranking among the top 2 over the past five years. Michael Byron, Senior Director of Supplier Diversity heads Wal-Mart's overall global supplier diversity initiatives.

The honor extends itself to another forty-nine major U.S. corporations which call themselves The Div50. This esteemed, elite list is coveted by the most successful companies in the United States and has become the most recognized and respected in the country. These companies truly differentiate themselves in the market place in a time when diversity is on the rise.

“The diversity practices of the Div50 has changed the course of economic inclusion and thereby the world as we know it,” said Kenton Clarke, CEO of DiversityBusiness.com. “The great diversity and vision of our country and our people have made this possible. DiversityBusiness.com is proud to have been a force in the business world for such positive change and opportunity. The initiative that we have led has been instrumental in equalizing the playing field and for that we are very honored indeed.”

The 15th annual list was produced by DiversityBusiness.com, the nation’s leading multicultural B2B online website for privately owned companies. Over 1,300,000 businesses were asked to answer 10 questions about diversity business in the marketplace. Their answers were based on factors such as volume, consistency and quality business opportunities granted to women and minority-owned companies. Other large companies at the top of the list include IBM, AT&T, Northrop Grumman, Apple, Office Depot/OfficeMax, Colgate, Pepsi, Lockheed Martin, Verizon, Cisco, Time Warner and Raytheon.

Top Honors for Top Corporations

While other awards and “Top” lists crown companies for metrics such as overall economic growth and returns to shareholders, The Div50 is an indicator of which organizations provide the best and the most business for diversity-owned companies. “In a marketplace that is increasingly as sensitive to diversity as it is to revenues, awarding the top buyers of multicultural products and services is becoming a natural part of the new socioeconomic food chain. Organizations that consistently buy the most products and services from diversity businesses, and that sustain the most mutually beneficial business relationships with their multicultural suppliers, should be recognized not only by the business community but also by the general public. That is what we have accomplished in creating The Div50,” said Kenton Clarke.

The Business Power of Diversity

As multicultural and female owned businesses gain more buying power and their lifestyles become more affluent, multicultural markets are growing in economic muscle. This in turn attracts more corporations, as they compete for market share. The Div50 list has therefore become the consumer guide for women and minority consumers. “As a diversity business owner, I appreciate the business we receive from corporate buyers; and in turn, when I buy products and services, either personally or for my company, I am much more likely to buy from the same companies that support my business or are supporting businesses like mine,” said Helen Levinson, principle of Desert Rose Design headquartered in Elmhurst, Illinois.

The Div50

The Div50 is a listing of the top 50 corporate and organizational buyers of diversity products and services throughout the U.S. It represents the voice of over 1,300,000 diversity-owned (women, African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Native American, and other multicultural groups) businesses in the U.S., in sectors such as technology, manufacturing, food service and professional services. It has become the Gold Standard to its members and their associates and reaches millions of consumers every year. In fifteen years, it has become a highly valued metric of corporate excellence in the diversity space.

The winning companies were honored during a special awards ceremony at DiversityBusiness.com’s "15th Annual National Summit", which took place on April 30, 2015 at the Harvard Club of New York in NYC.

About DiversityBusiness.com
Launched in 1999, DiversityBusiness is the largest organization of privately owned businesses throughout the United States that provide goods and services to Fortune 1000 companies, government agencies, and colleges and universities. DiversityBusiness provides research and data collection services for diversity including the "Top 50 Organizations for Multicultural Business Opportunities", "Top 500 Diversity Owned Companies in America", and others. Its research has been recognized and published by Forbes Magazine, Business Week and thousands of other print and internet publications. The site has gained national recognition and has won numerous awards for its content and design. Its e-magazine reaches over 3,000,000 readers, an e-newsletter that reaches 2.4 million, and website visitors of 1.2 million a month. It is a leading provider of diversity management tools. DiversityBusiness.com is produced by Computer Consulting Associates International Inc. (CCAii.com) of Southport, CT. Founded in 1980.
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