Philadelphia, PA /diversitybusiness.com/ With the development of a new Supplier Diversity Program, PECO Energy and its Chicago-based sister company Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) are extending Exelon Corporation's strong commitment to diversity and community outreach.

The new Supplier Diversity Program encourages PECO and ComEd to recruit and extend business opportunities to qualified minority and women business enterprise (MWBE) suppliers. The program fosters local economic development, strengthens community relations and promotes the company's diversity initiatives.

"Supporting a diverse supplier base keeps us connected to our customer base, and helps us to meet our social responsibility of giving back to the community from which we draw our income," said David Frank, director, Strategic Sourcing, responsible for supplier diversity programs.

Every year, Exelon's two energy delivery utilities spend nearly $1 billion on supplies, which include materials - wire and cable, transformers, insulators, switches, wood poles, gas and electric meters, safety equipment, fuel and vehicles, among others - and services that range from landscaping and construction to information technology consulting. Exelon's demand for supplies is wide-ranging but, like many large urban companies, its dealings with small businesses had traditionally lagged because of strategic needs to pursue the most competitive contracts. Exelon is adopting highly innovative supplier strategies to bridge the gaps and open up new opportunities for all segments of the business community.

Supplier diversity has opened many doors for Exelon as well. The company has developed new relationships with several supplier outreach organizations and has obtained memberships in the Greater Philadelphia Strategic Alliance and in the Women's Business Development Center, a Chicago-based organization whose board now includes Craig Adams, senior vice president, Support Services, Exelon Energy Delivery (EED).

EED has also published a brochure for suppliers and has launched a comprehensive Web site. The site provides information about the materials and services that EED purchases and includes a listing of upcoming sourcing initiatives and diversity events, a registration form for interested suppliers, as well as instructions to assist suppliers in becoming MWBE- certified.

Exelon's certification requirements are a crucial component of the Supplier Diversity Program and had previously posed a challenge to some smaller businesses that lacked the proper credentials. To overcome this obstacle, the supplier program has developed detailed how-to instructions for suppliers and will present regular workshops on this topic, Frank said.

A variety of other meet-and-greet sessions have been scheduled to introduce suppliers to PECO and ComEd, respectively. In Philadelphia, a supplier networking meeting is planned on Feb. 17, and the workshop "How to Start a Supplier Diversity Program" will take place on Feb. 19.

PECO's Upcoming Diversity Supplier Events

• Feb. 17 Supplier Networking Meeting, 8 a.m. to noon, PECO headquarters, 2301 Market Street, Energy Hall. For details, call George Peters at (312) 394-3457.



• Feb. 19 PECO hosts the Women's Business Enterprise National Council workshop "How to Start a Supplier Diversity Program," 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Energy Hall. For registration information, call the Women's Business Development Center at (215) 790-9232.

Throughout the year, the Supplier Diversity Program will continue to expand its training offerings and its presence in the supplier communities around Philadelphia, Chicago and elsewhere.

Based in Philadelphia, PECO Energy is an electric and natural gas utility serving southeastern Pennsylvania. PECO and its Chicago-based sister company, ComEd, are subsidiaries of Exelon, a $15 billion leader in the energy industry with the largest retail customer base, a large, diverse power generation portfolio and a leading wholesale energy marketing operation in North America. PECO delivered 36.5 million megawatt hours of electricity and 85 billion cubic feet of natural gas in 2002, generating $4.3 billion in revenue in 2002. An active corporate citizen, PECO contributed more than $10 million in 2002 to non-profit organizations, events and programs which improve the quality of life in the region. PECO serves 1.5 million electric and 450,000 natural gas customers in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Source: PECO Energy Company