Featured Member and MBE
The Northwest Minority Business Council is proud of all its stakeholders. Please read on below to learn more about corporate members and MBEs who contribute in making supplier diversity a success! We currently feature General Microsystems and Washington Mutual.
Featured MBE - General Microsystems
General Microsystems has been providing systems and data storage devices to customers since 1983. By focusing upon delivering a unique combination of technological excellence, competitive pricing and outstanding customer service, General Microsystems provides its customers a strong competitive advantage and maximum return on their investment.
Founded by Earl W. Overstreet II, General Microsystems first made its mark in the technology industry during the early stages of personal computing. In those early days, the company helped introduce computer automation to health care and education by supplying computers, local area networks and multi-user systems.
Today, General Microsytems has successfully established solution partnerhips with industry leading companies such as: Sun Microsystems, IBM Tivoli, StorageTek, McData and Gresham. These relationships contribute to General Microsystems ability to develop customized mission critical solutions that focus upon consolidating, centralizing, simplifying, automating and protecting its client’s technology needs.
Earl defines the ‘Meaning of Success’ as, “building a business based on teamwork, long-term relationships and a depth and breath of computer expertise that’s unsurpassed. That’s why our customers know that long after their systems are installed, General Microsystems will be there for them. It’s this philosophy that gives our customers the technology solutions for a competitive advantage in the real world. To us, that’s the meaning of success.”
Featured Corporate Member - Washington Mutual
Washington Mutual Creates Diversity Solutions
Carolyn Crowson
National Supplier Diversity Mgr., Washington Mutual
Seattle - WA US
Tell us what you do (or what your team or organization does) and the specific challenge you faced.
Washington Mutual is a financial services retailer for consumers and small- to mid-sized businesses (we’re the nation’s 7th largest financial institution). We do things differently and we’re proud of that. Our goal is to make community partners of diverse businesses because we believe it is a tangible investment in the economic health and development of our communities. The long term goal of our supplier diversity program is to award contracts representing 15 percent of supplier-related expenses to companies that are owned and controlled by ethnic minorities, disadvantaged, women, or people with disabilities. One of our major initiatives has been to reduce operating costs and simplify the management of outside vendors, but the dilemma was how to do this AND increase diversity participation. It seemed that we might be forced to choose between supporting diversity and profitability, and we didn’t like that choice.
What was your moment of truth?
This was the challenge. In a time when we were increasing our attention on supplier diversity and diversity initiatives in general, we were also focused on streamlining operations and leveraging efficiencies. Since 2001, our company has grown from 31,000 to 54,000 employees, acquired and integrated four organizations and built a national presence with financial and home loan centers in many urban areas. Instead of deciding which priority to sacrifice, we worked closely with minority-owned companies to figure out a way to do both! Carolyn Crowson, manager of the supplier diversity program at WaMu, attended a national meeting where she met Sherra Aguirre, president of Aztec Facility Services. Sherra recognized that large companies are under pressure to reduce operating costs and simplify management of outside vendors. And she knew there were few minority-owned firms with a capability to provide services nationwide. Sherra was getting ready to form a national alliance of minority vendors. Carolyn’s team had an incentive to help Sherra accomplish this goal.
What were the results?
We worked with three minority-owned companies to help them create a strategic alliance and operate nationally as Service Everywhere LLC. We’re their first customer in this new capacity and we’ve signed a national contract with them for lock and key maintenance services.
What's your parting tip?
Promoting diversity can make you a better company, in service and profitability.
What role did technology play in your success? What revolutionary, business transforming thing has your company's technology made possible?
Comments that readers have made about this submission:
Hats off to a company that's not only talking about creating change - but is really doing something tangible. How refreshing!
Elizabeth Hutchinson - Seattle, Wa, USA
This is a great example of a company going out of its way to find a unique solution that benefits the company and the community. Washington Mutual has gone out of its way to develop a terrific vendor diversity program and they are committed to helping minority and women-owned businesses thrive.
Terry Onustack - Seattle, WA, USA