SAN DIEGO, April 19, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE) has earned the top spot on DiversityInc magazine's annual list of "Top 50 Companies for Diversity" in supplier diversity. The company also was recognized as the No. 19 company for overall diversity.
"We are proud to be recognized as one of DiversityInc's Top 50 companies for diversity," said Donald E. Felsinger, chairman and chief executive officer of Sempra Energy. "Since Sempra Energy was founded, we have made a priority of developing a workforce and network of suppliers that reflect the diversity of the communities we serve."
DiversityInc reviewed submissions from more than 250 companies to determine the ranking of its top 50 companies, scheduled for publication in the June 2006 issue of the magazine. Sempra Energy and the other companies on the list were honored based on top-level commitment to diversity, unbiased retention, diversity training and communications, supplier diversity and support of employees with disabilities.
In 2005, the Sempra Energy companies spent $215 million, more than 23 percent of total purchases, with women-, minority- and service-disabled, veteran-owned businesses.
Fifty-one percent of Sempra Energy's general workforce and 30 percent of its managers are African-Americans, Asians, Hispanics and Native Americans. Minority representation on Sempra Energy's board of directors is 20 percent.
"Sempra Energy's commitment to diversity starts with its CEO and extends to all aspects of its business," said Luke Visconti, partner and confounder of DiversityInc. "As a Top 50 company, Sempra Energy demonstrated strong unbiased recruitment and retention as well as excellence in communications and supplier diversity. It is a commitment to these management practices that have earned Sempra Energy the recognition on the Top 50 list."
Sempra Energy's Office of Corporate Diversity Affairs manages workplace diversity at the company. This special entity successfully creates an environment in which employees of all races and ethnic backgrounds are valued and can use their unique perspectives to contribute to the business goals of the company, Sempra Energy officials said. The company also has a dedicated team that manages supplier diversity. The team conducts outreach programs and mentors minority-, woman- and service-disabled-veteran-owned businesses, helping Sempra Energy reduce costs, spark innovation and provide customers with the best products and services at competitive prices.
Sempra Energy has received numerous awards and honors for its commitment to diversity, including previous recognition by DiversityInc, the U.S. Department of Labor, state and local chambers of commerce, as well as a top-five ranking on Fortune Magazine's list of "America's 50 Best Companies for Minorities," for seven years.
DiversityInc is published by Allegiant Media, a privately owned company with no outside investors. Launched in 2002 as an extension of DiversityInc.com, DiversityInc magazine is the nation's leading source of information for cutting-edge knowledge of the business case for diversity. DiversityInc magazine offers readers more in-depth articles and substantive analysis, building on the company's history as the premier expert on reporting and analyzing diversity issues and their impact on U.S. business and society.
For more information about DiversityInc's "Top 50 Companies for Diversity," visit DiversityInc's Web site at www.diversityinc.com.
Sempra Energy, based in San Diego, is a Fortune 500 energy services holding company with 2005 revenues of $11.7 billion. The Sempra Energy companies' 14,000 employees serve more than 29 million consumers in the United States, Europe, Canada, Mexico, South America and Asia.