Ford's Supplier Diversity Development Program Exceeds Goals

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - March 24, 2013 - PRLog -- It is with pride that one of Chicagoland's leading Ford dealers, Arlington Heights Ford (http://www.ahford.com/), announces that Ford's Supplier Diversity Development program continues to exceed its goals in increasing diversity among the companies with which Ford does business.

Annual goals for the program are to have at least 10 percent of US purchases of supplies and equipment come from businesses owned by women, minorities, and military veterans. For 2012, $1.2 billion in good and services were purchased from women-owned suppliers and $5.7 billion was put toward purchases from minority-owned suppliers.

Carla Preston, coordinator for the Supplier Diversity Development Program, reinforces that Ford is a business interested in operating in the 21st century, adapting to the world economic landscape and recognizing the importance of supporting diversity, especially in the economic market.

In order to achieve their goals, Preston and others work with community organizations, business leaders, and trade organizations in order to ensure that they accurately portray the interests of diverse businesses, and for the second time in as many years, the Women's Business Enterprise National Council has recognized Ford for their commitment to women-owned businesses.

To commemorate Women's History Month, Ford has been celebrating the 150 Women's Business Enterprises and minority-ran businesses that are essential for the automaker, ranging from green technology-friendly GDC (owned by Loretta Miller) to staffing supplier G-Tech Services (run by CEO and President Theresa Ghafari) to ETCS, a minority-owned tool, staffing, and component company based in Troy, Michigan (run by Ravi Kapur).

Ford's diversity initiative has been in place for many years now, and as one of the leaders in the automotive industry, they are setting an example for how to update business practices for a global, diverse economy.
This dedication to diversity shines at Arlington Heights Ford as well, and for more information on the automaker, including how to set up a test drive of a brand new Ford car, truck, or SUV, contact their sales team today (http://www.ahford.com/page/ContactUsForm3/master/secondar...). Their dealership is located at 801 West Dundee Road in Arlington Heights, with showroom hours six days a week.