Johnson Controls to Host Supplier Diversity Showcase, Share Best Practices

MILWAUKEE, June 13 -- To celebrate achieving its billion dollar-purchasing goal and the tenth anniversary of its supplier diversity program, Johnson Controls will host a Supplier Diversity Showcase in Milwaukee on June 17, 2003 at the Hilton Milwaukee Center, 509 W. Wisconsin Ave.

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At the event, executives from Johnson Controls, General Motors and leading business development officials will showcase supplier diversity best practices and industry insights on emerging domestic markets, commercialization of minority business development and the creation of joint ventures with minority- and women-owned businesses. Diverse firms from across the nation will also showcase their goods and services to Johnson Controls executives and purchasing decision-makers during roundtable discussions.

"Achieving our $1 billion purchasing goal is a significant achievement," said Larry Alles, Johnson Controls vice president of corporate global procurement. "Our customers serve increasingly diverse markets, and we are convinced that our supplier diversity initiatives are a key competitive advantage, helping us win new business, retain customers and reinforce the Johnson Controls brand."

In 2002, Johnson Controls purchased goods and services valued at more than $1.02 billion from diverse suppliers. This figure is expected to increase by an additional $50 million in 2003.

Through its supplier diversity program, Johnson Controls establishes relationships throughout the United States with qualified minority- and women- owned businesses that supply high-quality materials and services at competitive prices. Supplier diversity is integrated into corporate strategic plans for growth. The company's supplier diversity model has received recognition and awards from customers and national organizations.

At the Showcase, Johnson Controls will detail its best practices for increasing supplier diversity. The practices are:

   1.   Building program infrastructure and obtaining executive commitment
   2.   Establishing accountability processes
   3.   Enhancing decision-maker involvement through recognition processes
   4.   Strengthening supplier diversity's linkage to sales and marketing
   5.   Developing supplier recruiting and referral processes
   6.   Maintaining diverse purchases during supplier base consolidation
   7.   Building diverse firm capacity through mentoring relationships
   8.   Training diverse supplier executives
   9.   Developing strategic alliances
   10.  Developing joint ventures

"With minority-owned businesses growing four times faster than the national average, we firmly believe a strategy-based supplier diversity program is no longer an option -- it's a necessity," added Alles.

Johnson Controls is a global market leader in automotive systems and facility management and control. In the automotive market, it is a major supplier of integrated seating and interior systems, and batteries. For non- residential facilities, Johnson Controls provides control systems and services including comfort, energy and security management. Johnson Controls , founded in 1885, has headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its sales in fiscal 2002 totaled $20.1 billion. For additional information, visit www.johnsoncontrols.com .

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