54% White
of Minority Economic Development, a nonprofit orga-
nization that represents the interests of underutilized
34% Black
businesses throughout the state. Initiatives include iden-
11% Latino
tifying market opportunities, providing access to capital
and conducting purchasing workshops for MWBEs. The
1% Other
Institute also pairs corporate procurement executives
in Charlotte with small-business owners to increase
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 American Community Survey
local contracting opportunities.
In addition, the 230-member Charlotte Business
Guild (CBG) is helping to build inclusive work environ-
ments for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)
people. According to CBG President Bert Woodard,
the group sponsors monthly LGBT networking events
and leads efforts to establish domestic-partner benefits
in Charlotte’s public and private sectors. Plus, the
Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board recently adopted
a comprehensive anti-bullying student policy, which
includes sexual orientation among the list of character-
istics most commonly targeted for harassment.
Charlotte’s higher education institutions also
foster inclusiveness by working to develop leaders
from underserved communities. Central Piedmont
Community College in downtown Charlotte, for
instance, is home to the Institute for Entrepreneurship,
where corporate executives regularly volunteer to
Economic Impact of Blacks, Latinos
in Mecklenburg County
$7 billion
$6.4
Billion
$2 billion
$1.36
Billion
Blacks
Latinos
Source: Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise (2005)
mentor, train and recruit underrepresented students
for corporate jobs, often in finance and technology.
Even the chamber recently paired up with a local
private university, the Black Professionals Network,
government and corporations to recruit college-educated knowledge workers to the region. The goal
of this and other diversity-related efforts in Charlotte
are helping to attract the best and the brightest people
of all ages and abilites, races and religions. z
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LOWE’S COMPANIES INC.:
COMMITTED TO DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
Mooresville, N.C.-based Lowe’s Companies Inc. is the world’s second-largest
home-improvement
corporation with annual
sales of about $48 billion. William Johnson,
vice president of human
resources supply chain,
corporate staff and diversity, says the company concentrates its diversity and inclusion efforts in four areas:
1. Work Force. Lowe’s recruits
candidates from HBCUs and women’s
colleges, and it works with associations
such as National Black MBA and National
Society of Hispanic Professionals. In
Charlotte, in partnership with the Urban
League, Lowe’s employees also conduct
interview workshops.
2. Customers. Lowe’s multicultural
merchandising and marketing include a
phone in most of its 1,600 stores that
connects customers with translators in
more than 140 languages, from Spanish
to Mandarin, and in-store signage and
point-of-purchase materials in Spanish.
3. Vendors and Suppliers. Lowe’s
has joined forces with the National Minority Supplier Development Council to
solicit, mentor and develop suppliers. In
2006, Lowe’s purchased more than $1
billion in goods from women- and minor-ity-owned businesses.
4. Community. Lowe’s has partnered with more than 50 organizations,
such as the National Urban League, the
NAACP and the National Council of
La Raza, to work on diversity initiatives
locally and nationally.
“We’re getting involved on a local basis, rolling up our sleeves and, in some
cases, joining their boards,” says Johnson.
“We strive to be a better citizen in all the
communities that we serve.”
Internally, diversity workshops train
managers, who return to their offices
to share what they have learned with
associates.
In addition, Robert Niblock, Lowe’s
chairman and CEO, leads by example; he
chairs the company’s 15-person Diversity
Advisory Council, which meets quarterly
and works with the company’s nine Diversity Leadership Teams to ensure that
everyone at Lowe’s has an opportunity
to succeed.
