Illinois utilities spend $2B with minority-, women- and veteran-owned businesses

Positive gains reported during Illinois Commerce Commission Supplier Diversity Policy session

CHICAGO, Sept. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Members of the Illinois Utilities Business Diversity Council (IUBDC) spent a combined total of $2 billion with minority-, women- and veteran-owned businesses in 2021. Leaders from the member utilities reported positive gains year-over-year at the Illinois Commerce Commision's 2022 policy session.

The IUBDC was formed in 2015 to increase business opportunities for diverse suppliers through closer collaboration, technical development and sharing of best practices among leading Illinois utilities. IUBDC charter members include Ameren Illinois, Commonwealth Edison, Illinois American Water, Nicor Gas, Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas.

"Providing opportunities to diverse suppliers in Illinois enables us to build stronger communities and meet the evolving needs of customers," said Justin Ladner, IUBDC chairman of the board and president of Illinois American Water. "IUBDC's commitment to diverse supplier spending is a testament to our dedication to create equity for our current and potential business partners."

Supplier diversity creates multiple channels for the procurement of supplies and services, said Stephen Brock, CEO of Supplied Industrial Solutions, Inc., a minority- and veteran-owned business that works with Illinois American Water. "We're proud of the work we've done to help Illinois utilities mitigate pandemic-related supply chain challenges and their impact on customers through innovative solutions to securing critical materials at competitive prices. Diverse suppliers help make supply chains more resilient."

Since 2014, electric, natural gas and water companies under the jurisdiction of the Illinois Commerce Commission with at least 100,000 customers report annually their procurement goals and actual spend with diverse suppliers. These annual reports can be located here and a video of this year's Supplier Diversity Policy Session can be viewed here.

For more information about the IUBDC, visit iubdc.com.                           

The Illinois Utilities Business Diversity Council (IUBDC) members include Ameren Illinois, Aqua America, ComEd, Illinois American Water, Nicor Gas, North Shore Gas and Peoples Gas. The mission of the IUBDC is to serve the Illinois utilities as a forum for best practice sharing and information exchange with the focus on advancing the growth and utilization of utility-based diverse businesses in the state of Illinois.

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SOURCE Illinois Utilities Business Diversity Council