Chrysler Group Named Company of the Year by National Minority Supplier Development Council

AUBURN HILLS, MI -- Nov. 6, 2014: Award recognizes Company's leadership in expanding opportunities for minority suppliers More than $52 billion has been purchased from minority-owned suppliers since 1983 Chrysler Group LLC has been named Company of the Year for 2014 by the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC). The award recognizes the Company's innovative approaches and programs to expand opportunities for minority suppliers. Since 1983, the Company has purchased more than $52 billion from minority-owned suppliers.

The Award was announced at an awards ceremony in Orlando on November 5.

"Chrysler Group is committed to creating a diverse and sustainable supply base through innovative programs that create new business opportunities for minority suppliers such as Matchmaker and High Focus," said Tom Finelli, Vice President - Purchasing and Supplier Quality, Chrysler Group LLC. "Our commitment to diversity is deeply rooted and fully engages the entire team, including our extended enterprise partners. This enables us to better understand and satisfy -- perhaps even to better anticipate -- the tastes and needs of diverse customers and communities."

Among Chrysler Group's most successful innovations, designed to expand opportunities for minority suppliers, is its Matchmaker program. Just completing its 15th year, the annual Matchmaker provides minority-owned, women-owned and veteran-owned businesses access to Chrysler Group's Tier 1 suppliers and to decision makers in the Company's procurement organization.

Matchmaker continues to be the much-copied, premier networking trade event in the automotive supplier community. This year's Matchmaker attracted about 3,000 participants. More than 270 minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned and majority-owned Chrysler Group suppliers participated in the day-long event. The program has generated more than $2.1 billion in new business opportunities for exhibitors since 2000.

Chrysler Group's supplier diversity goals require that 16.5 percent of the Company's Tier 1 and Tier 2 supplier procurement be sourced to certified minority suppliers. Chrysler Group itself spent $2.1 billion with approximately 200 minority suppliers in 2013.

Another Chrysler Group innovation is its High Focus Program, established in 2011. High Focus takes suppliers with greater potential for diverse spend and equips them with the tools and support to achieve their diversity targets. The diversity spend status of each supplier is monitored monthly and reviewed with the supplier quarterly.

"Chrysler Group has been at the forefront of supplier diversity for decades," said NMSDC President Joset Wright-Lacy. "We are proud to celebrate the automaker's commitment to developing and partnering with minority suppliers with our highest honor –the Corporation of the Year award."

Chrysler Group continues to support several organizations that assist Tier 1 suppliers with achieving their minority-owned and women-owned sourcing goals. These organizations include the National Minority Supplier Development Council, the Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council and the Women's Business Enterprise National Council. In addition, Chrysler Group supports veteran-business ownership through membership with the National Veteran-Owned Business Association.