Johnson Controls to Contribute $250,000 to Underground Railroad Freedom Center
Donation Honors Relationship With National Minority Supplier Development Council
MILWAUKEE, Oct. 1 -- Johnson Controls, Inc. has announced that it will contribute $250,000 toward the creation of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, a museum and learning center being built in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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The company also announced that the contribution will be made in the names of both Johnson Controls and the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), a business organization focused on providing increased procurement and business opportunities for minority businesses.
"We're proud to support the development of the Freedom Center and its mission to advance interracial dialogue and understanding. The Underground Railroad is a story of incredible courage. It's also a story of great cooperation, of people with a variety of backgrounds, all united around a commitment to realize new opportunities and a better life," said John M. Barth, Johnson Controls president and chief executive officer.
"Many of the same things might be said today about the NMSDC. Through the NMSDC, varied companies and people work together to create new opportunities that strengthen our society," Barth added. "We value the relationships we are building with NMSDC regional councils throughout the country. This contribution recognizes the NMSDC's important work, our growing relationship and the support the organization has provided to the Johnson Controls supplier diversity efforts over the years."
The announcement of the commitment was made at the company's Supplier Diversity Showcase, an event held to celebrate Johnson Controls achieving $1 billion in annual sales from diverse suppliers. NMSDC president Harriet R. Michel was a featured speaker at the Showcase.
"We are extremely proud and honored to be recognized through Johnson Controls' generous gift to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. John Barth continues to demonstrate through concrete and creative avenues the company's total commitment to diversity," Michel said.
"I've never been more impressed by a company than I have been by Johnson Controls," said Ed Rigaud, President of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. "The creative abilities flowing from the diversity and talent of their people is exactly the spirit that the Freedom Center is trying to capture. We are truly grateful for their generous gift."
The 158,000 square foot National Underground Railroad Freedom Center will include six visitor experiences, an education and research facility, changing exhibits gallery, performance theater and interactive displays designed to educate visitors on how the lessons of history apply in the modern world. It is expected to open in the summer of 2004.
About the Freedom Center
The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center will be a living and learning center in Cincinnati offering lessons and reflections on the ongoing struggle for freedom. In addition to celebrating the historic efforts of the Underground Railroad, the Freedom Center will also showcase the efforts of modern day heroes -- men and women from around the world. Through its exhibits, programs, research and interactive experiences, the Freedom Center will promote collaborative learning, dialogue and will inspire today's freedom movements. For more information, visit www.undergroundrailroad.org .
About the NMSDC
Providing a direct link between corporate America and minority-owned businesses is the primary objective of the National Minority Supplier Development Council, one of the country's leading business membership organizations. The NMSDC Network, which includes 39 affiliated regional councils, matches more than 15,000 certified minority businesses (Asian, Black, Hispanic and Native American) with its more than 3,500 corporate members that want to purchase their goods and services. In 2001, member corporations' purchases from minority businesses exceeded $63 billion. Additional information about the NMSDC can be found at www.nmsdc.org .
About Johnson Controls
Johnson Controls, Inc., 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 for 2002 totaled $20.1 billion. For more information on Johnson Controls, Inc., visit the company's web site at www.johnsoncontrols.com .
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