Johnson Controls Earns '2003 Corporate Citizenship Award' from Ford Motor Company
Company Earns Top Award from Automaker for Supporting, Developing Minority Firms in U.S.
PLYMOUTH, Mich., Nov. 13 -- Johnson Controls was recognized by Ford Motor Company with its 2003 Corporate Citizenship Award for the supplier's strong commitment to supporting and doing business with minority-owned companies.
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The company was the only tier-one interior supplier to receive the annual award this year. Johnson Controls previously was recognized by Ford with the award in 1999.
Carolyn Woznicki, vice president and general manager of the Ford Business Unit for Johnson Controls, accepted the award at an annual recognition dinner held in Dearborn, Michigan on November 10. Representatives from more than 100 suppliers attended the event.
Ford officials said Johnson Controls received the award -- presented annually to a "tier-one" supplier -- for its successful minority supplier development program. The company shares Ford's vision and commitment to expanding opportunities for minority-owned businesses, according to the automaker.
"We're honored to be recognized by Ford because it says our efforts to create a strong diverse supplier development program have been successful," said Keith Wandell, president of the Automotive Group for Johnson Controls. "Johnson Controls is committed to promoting diversity, building strong partnerships with minority firms, and expanding minority supplier development efforts in the future."
Ford has presented its Corporate Citizenship Award each year since 1996 to reinforce development of minority businesses and communities.
As a global market leader in automotive interior systems, automotive batteries, and facility management and control systems, Johnson Controls purchased goods and services valued at more than $1.02 billion from diverse suppliers in 2002. This figure is expected to increase by an additional $50 million in 2003.
Last May, Johnson Controls was named to the Billion Dollar Roundtable, an organization comprised of the 12 U.S. corporations that spend more than $1 billion annually with minority- and women-owned businesses.
Johnson Controls has intensified its development efforts with diverse sources of supply as a key method to gain competitive advantages throughout its automotive and controls businesses. It currently has more than 1,100 diverse suppliers corporate-wide. Within the Diversity Business Development model at Johnson Controls, "diverse" suppliers include companies that are owned by minorities, women or veterans -- and those that are designated by government agencies as small businesses or disadvantaged businesses.
Under its Diversity Business Development program, Johnson Controls established practices to:
-- Include diverse suppliers in acquisitions/divestitures, lead supplier
arrangements, joint ventures and strategic alliances;
-- Implement standardized internal processes for recruiting, training and
utilizing diverse suppliers nationwide;
-- Expand a successful mentor/protege program for customers and key
suppliers throughout the United States;
-- Adopt Web-based systems that provide business opportunities to diverse
suppliers, measure performance, and promote diversity-oriented
business solutions to customers; and
-- Strengthen mandates requiring existing Johnson Controls suppliers to
offer solutions supporting supplier diversity.
In recent years, Johnson Controls has been recognized as an industry leader in diversity and in supporting minority-owned companies. The company was chosen as "Corporation of the Year" by the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) in October. The award is regarded as the highest recognition a corporation can receive for conducting business with minority- and women-owned firms. The NMSDC provides links between U.S. corporations and minority-owned businesses.
Also in October, Johnson Controls was named "Corporation of the Year" by the Michigan Minority Business Development Council (MMBDC). It was the sixth time in the past eight years the firm has received the award.
Last year, the Johnson Controls was honored as "Corporation of the Year" by the Tennessee Minority Supplier Development Council (TMSDC).
The MMBDC and TMSDC are voluntary organizations with more than 2,500 members, which work to create links between major corporations and minority businesses.
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 (U.S.A.).
For access to other Johnson Controls news releases and additional company information, visit the company's site on the World Wide Web at http://www.johnsoncontrols.com/ .
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