OREANDA-NEWS. April 19, 2016. In concert with the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), UPS® (NYSE: UPS) is proud to be included on the 16th annual list of America's Top Corporations for Women's Business Enterprises (WBEs), the only national award honoring corporations for world-class supplier diversity programs that reduce barriers and drive growth for women-owned businesses.

Supplier Diversity Director, Estrella Cramer, received the Platinum distinction award on behalf of UPS and was honored in front of an audience of more than 1,500 attendees at the WBENC Summit & Salute to Women's Business Enterprises that took place on March 22-24, 2016 in Phoenix, AZ. 

Gary Kallenbach, UPS Chief Procurement Officer said, “As Vice President of UPS’s Global Procurement, I’m proud of our Supplier Diversity process. UPSers are committed to ensuring that our Supplier Diversity Process strengthens the small, minority and woman-owned businesses that drive economic development in the communities we serve.” He continued, “In fact, helping ensure the success of these small and diverse businesses helps UPS grow our business.  We’re are also proud of our long and successful involvement with WBENC. Our two organizations share a strong belief and common goal in providing a climate for entrepreneurs and their businesses to succeed in today’s increasingly diverse, global and competitive environment.”

Each Top Corporation honoree has demonstrated continuous, effective practices leading to significant results, further reinforcing a strong business case for their organization, the development of WBEs, and breaking down barriers to WBE inclusion within their organization.  The degree to which corporations leverage diversity and inclusion within their corporate culture to integrate sustainable Leading Programs for WBEs determines the company’s recognized distinction on the list:  Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum.

"We are so proud of WBENC's Top Corporations, including UPS, for choosing to set the standard for access and increase opportunities to women suppliers in new markets – both domestically and internationally," said Pamela Prince-Eason, President and CEO of WBENC, the nation's leader in women's business development. "UPS has been on every list of WBENC's Top Corporations since our first year in 1999, and they have consistently been included at Platinum distinction, which recognizes leading practices and driving innovation in all areas supporting women's business enterprises."

As the only national award honoring corporations who are choosing to integrate policies and programs to enable growth and reduce barriers for women-owned businesses, UPS is committed to increasing opportunity in markets – both domestically, and internationally; fueling innovation; and, empowering communities through economic growth and job creation.

In 2015, UPS spent close to a billion dollars in procurement with small and diverse businesses in the United States. The company is working to increase that number significantly over the next few years.  A third-party study on the economic impact of UPS spending with small, minority, women, veteran-owned businesses and other diverse suppliers in 2015 led to over \\$2.3 billion in contributions to the U.S. economy (U.S. GDP) and sustained more than 14,200 jobs in the supply chain and local communities. 

About UPS

UPS (NYSE: UPS) is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including the transportation of packages and freight; the facilitation of international trade, and the deployment of advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. Headquartered in Atlanta, UPS serves more than 220 countries and territories worldwide.  The company can be found on the Web at UPS.com and its corporate blog can be found at longitudes.ups.com.  To get UPS news direct, visit pressroom.ups.com/RSS. 

About WBENC

Founded in 1997, WBENC is the leading third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women, with over 12,000 WBENC-Certified WBEs. WBENC-Certification is accepted by more than 1,000 corporations representing America's most prestigious brands, in addition to many states, cities and other entities. Throughout the year, WBENC and its 14 Regional Partner Organizations provide opportunities for interactions between more than 650 member corporations, government agencies and thousands of certified WBEs at business building events and other forums. WBENC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that seeks and accepts donations from corporations, foundations and individuals that support its mission and programs. For more information about the annual America’s Top Corporations for Women Business Enterprises, visit http://www.wbenc.org/americas-top-corporations-for-wbes