CREATING A CULTURE OF DIVERSITY & INCLUSION THROUGH OUR CORPORATE VALUES AND COMMITMENT TO CUSTOMERS
Illinois American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality, reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 1.3 million people.
Diversity and inclusion lead to a higher quality of life, economic growth, and is one of our strategic imperatives. At Illinois American Water, we aim to keep the focus on changing company culture – both inside the company and with our customers.
Our entire team focused on three strategic areas in 2016:
- American Water’s Leading Supplier Academy Workshop. This workshop continues to focus on building
capacity with the best-in-class minority-, women-, disabled- and veteran-owned businesses that inspire
innovation, increase competition, and reflect our unwavering commitment to customers. Suppliers selected
for the workshop have products and/or services that tie into Illinois American Water’s procurement needs. - Supplier database validation. The company conducted data assessments to validate accuracy of reported first- and second-tier diverse supplier spends and classifications. The validation process provided opportunities for our team to facilitate leadership training, issue performance certifications and further grow our partnerships with diverse suppliers.
- Partnerships with Illinois advocacy groups. Illinois American Water partners with advocacy groups to provide
educational programs and initiatives to specific diverse businesses or MWDVBEs. Suppliers were educated
on the programs, requirements and opportunities that Illinois American Water and the Illinois Utility Business
Diversity Council offer, including access to vendor networks and special guest speaker forums.
The company’s spend with certified diverse suppliers in 2015 more than tripled when compared to the 2014
base year. Illinois American Water continued the momentum into 2016, achieving a diverse spend of 27.43
percent – about 8 times greater than the 2014 base year and more than twice as much as 2015.
We achieved year-over-year growth – specifically through diverse spend with both large and small organizations
in our communities and Illinois’ economy. We are proud to report on the success we’ve had increasing diverse
representation in the water utility industry in a way that reflects the communities we serve and positions Illinois
American Water for long-term success.
For more information, contact us at il.supplierdiversity@amwater.com.