Social Responsibility

Delphi Committed to Growing Expenditures with Diverse Companies

Delphi hosted its 11th consecutive Matchmaker Conference at the Michigan State University Education Center in Troy, Mich. March 28.

The event brought together some 50 of Delphi's top current minority suppliers, as well as representatives from Delphi customers such as General Motors, Toyota, Ford and DaimlerChrysler. The theme of this year's event was "Building on Success Through Diversity."

The Delphi Matchmaker Conference, historically one of the largest minority supplier conferences in the United States, has made a significant impact since the first ribbon-cutting ceremony in Dayton, Ohio, in 1996, generating more than $180 million in purchases to minority business entrepreneurs. The 2006 Matchmaker was restructured to provide a "targeted focused format" that allowed maximum exposure to Delphi's key minority suppliers, which makes up more than 50-percent of the company's diversity spend.

The conference has encouraged the development of long-term business relationships between Delphi's Tier I and minority business entrepreneurs leading to business partnerships.

At this year's conference, speakers included Delphi leaders such as Rodney O'Neal, president and chief operating officer; Tim Richards, vice president of Sales and Marketing; and Sid Johnson, vice president of Global Supply Management. O'Neal reinforced Delphi's commitment to growing expenditures with diverse companies, while Johnson challenged the supplier community to perform at its highest level and said Delphi would work to strengthen its diverse supplier development program.

Delphi also welcomed noted supplier diversity expert Ralph Moore to the conference, who offered his perspective on the five levels of corporate diversity programs he has studied and he offered observations on the obstacles diversity leaders face in corporate America.

In 2005, approximately 8 percent of Delphi's North American purchases were with minority suppliers and for 2006 Delphi remains committed to continue growth of Minority spending.