March 8 is International Women's Day, and the Women's Business Enterprise National Council marks the occasion by naming the "Top Corporations for Women's Business Enterprises." This annual list honors companies that excel at allowing women-owned businesses to compete for and secure corporate contracts, and Marriott International has made the list, according to a PRNewswire release.
Among the diverse organizations Marriott does business with, women-owned entities make up 50 percent of the total. In 2014, the hospitality chain spent $223 million with over 4,000 women-owned businesses located around the world.
"We are honored to once again be named as a Top Corporation by WBENC," said Dominica Groom, director, global supplier diversity at Marriott International. "2014 was an outstanding year for Marriott engaging with women-owned businesses. In addition to the increase in spend globally, we more than doubled our engagement and outreach efforts for women business owners over the prior year."
In 2013, Marriott, and a number of global corporations and non-government organizations (NGO) all became part of the five-year Clinton Global Initiative (CGI). The aim of CGI is to engage with women-owned businesses outside the U.S., especially in emerging economies. Working with the NGOs WEConnect International and Vital Voices, Marriott has spent more than $20 million to date with women-owned businesses outside the U.S., and trained more than 150 female business owners. Enterprises of note include the Ayiti Natives, Co, supplying retail amenities for the Marriott Port-au-Prince in Haiti, Yanbian Livestock in Jilin Province, providing beef to twenty hotels in China, and a partnership with Simpsons Tea at Marriotts across Europe.
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