LAS VEGAS -- MLB's Diversity & Inclusion Department today announced three special supplier awards that commemorated the 20th anniversary celebration of the Diverse Business Partners (DBP) program, which has led to approximately $2 billion spent by MLB, MLB Network and MLB Clubs with diverse-owned businesses. The awards, which recognize three categories essential to the success of the DBP - Club Appreciation, Advocate Appreciation, and Supplier Appreciation - were handed out to recipients at a reception marking the end of the Supplier Diversity Summit at Baseball's Winter Meetings.
The Chicago White Sox received the Club Appreciation Award for the organization's contributions to the DBP program over the years. The White Sox have one of the best Supplier Diversity Utilizations Rates, which is the supplier diversity spend percentage as compared to the total supplier spend, outperforming the League average. Additionally, the Club has a proactive procurement team that consistently includes diverse suppliers in their supply chain process. White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, who accepted the award from MLB, was instrumental in the formation of the MLB Diversity Oversight Committee as well as the DBP program in 1998.
Bud Hanley, the Senior Director of Procurement with the Minnesota Twins, has been named the Diverse Business Partners Advocate Appreciation Award recipient. Hanley, a military veteran who has been with the Twins for 11 years, has stood out for his role as a Board Member of his local National Minority Supplier Development Council. He is the only procurement executive in baseball who is actively involved to that degree. The award was designated for a single Club employee for their work over time in contributing to the DBP program, and Hanley has been instrumental to the overall League-wide Procurement effort to streamline cost-savings practices and do so utilizing diverse businesses.
Success Promotions was recognized as the recipient of the Supplier Appreciation Award, which was to go to the DBP supplier that has demonstrated the most growth over the 20-year history of the program. Success Promotions, a Hispanic, woman-owned business providing promotional products, has been a supplier of MLB for over 15 years. Beginning as an opportunity with only two Clubs, has now become a diverse business partnership with 28 of the 30 MLB Clubs, including the White Sox.
For the third consecutive year, MLB hosted the Supplier Diversity Summit at the annual Baseball Winter Meetings. With a variety of special events, diverse suppliers had the opportunity to showcase and network with MLB and Minor League Baseball (MiLB) Clubs as well as fellow business owners & enterpreneurs.
Throughout the week, MLB hosted the supplier workshop and procurement best practices sessions as well as the Supplier Diversity in Advertising, Entertainment, Media & Sports Discussion, the Supplier Diversity Speed Rounds with MLB & MLB Clubs, and the Diverse Business Partners 20th Anniversary Reception & Awards Presentation. All attending businesses and entrepreneurs also had access to the MiLB Trade Floor and Showcase where they networked and pitched their businesses with Minor League Clubs and affiliated partners.
Created in 1998, the Diverse Business Partner program is an economically-driven business initiative designed to cultivate new and existing partnerships with minority-owned and female-owned businesses by increasing opportunities for them to participate in the procurement activities of MLB. It is the first of its kind in professional sports. MLB has spent approximately $2 billion with diverse businesses since the program was created, and was recently honored as one of the top 50 U.S. corporations for multicultural business by the largest member organization of diverse businesses in this country.