SAN DIEGO, April 5, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE) has earned recognition for its leadership in diversity from DiversityInc magazine and the San Diego Business Journal.
In DiversityInc magazine's 2007 list of "Top 50 Companies for Diversity," the company recently earned the No. 2 rank in supplier diversity and No. 29 for overall diversity. Sempra Energy and the other companies on the annual list were honored based on top-level commitment to diversity, unbiased retention, diversity training and communications, supplier diversity and support of employees with disabilities.
Additionally, Sempra Energy last week earned the San Diego Business Journal's Multicultural Heritage Award, presented to companies that develop, foster and promote multicultural understanding in the workplace, community and region.
"We are proud to continue to receive recognition for our leadership in the area of diversity," said Donald E. Felsinger, chairman and chief executive officer of Sempra Energy. "Our workforce and network of suppliers reflect the diversity of the communities we serve."
In 2006, the Sempra Energy companies spent $251 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.
Sempra Energy's Office of Corporate Diversity Affairs manages workplace diversity at the company. This special department 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, and state and local chambers of commerce. For seven consecutive years, Sempra Energy ranked among the top five of Fortune's "America's Best Companies for Minorities."
Additionally, last month, Sempra Energy was named one of Fortune magazine's "Most Admired Companies" in its industry and selected for "The BusinessWeek 50" 2007 list of best-performing companies.
Sempra Energy, based in San Diego, is a Fortune 500 energy services holding company with 2006 revenues of nearly $12 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.