Promotes working with diverse suppliers as the company moves toward $300 million spend with diverse suppliers by 2025

Avangrid, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), a leading sustainable energy company and member of the Iberdrola Group, recently held its first ever Supplier Diversity Summit at its headquarters in Orange, Connecticut as part of the company’s 2023 Diversity Week. The event proactively connected diverse suppliers with Avangrid contacts and increased the overall visibility of Avangrid’s Supplier Diversity Program as the company moves to increase its supplier diversity spend to $300 million by 2025.

“This event was an excellent occasion to celebrate our commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion,” said Pedro Azagra, Avangrid CEO. “As a member of the Iberdrola Group, we’re already a naturally diverse company made up of people with many backgrounds, stories and ideas. This makes us stronger. Our Supplier Diversity Program ensures we’re building strong partnerships with diverse allies to strengthen our supply chain and ensure it truly reflects our customers and the communities that we serve.”

“Our diverse suppliers are essential to our company and our mission,” said Felix Morck, Vice President of Purchasing and Insurance of Avangrid. “We are strengthening Avangrid by opening our supply chain to new ideas, alternative providers, disruptive technologies, new talent, specialized insight, and local expertise. This event is another great way to interact with some of our diverse suppliers and continue to strengthen our program.”

Avangrid’s Supplier Diversity Summit hosted 60 suppliers from diverse backgrounds and 50 Avangrid key stakeholders from purchasing and other relevant business areas. The event included networking opportunities, a panel on Avangrid’s approach and commitment to sourcing, diversity and sustainability, and guest speakers from a minority-owned business and a woman-owned business. Avangrid also presented its Supplier Diversity Awards to two of its diverse suppliers, McNDT and Pterra, for exceeding expectations in innovation, quality and service.

Related Article: Avangrid Pilots New Technology to Increase Grid Capacity in New York to Accelerate Renewable Energy Adoption

One of the guest speakers at the Summit was Theresa Eaton, CEO, Chair and Owner of WECS Renewables, an electrical, mechanical and hydraulic parts wholesale distributor, providing parts to the wind, solar and battery storage sectors.

“Avangrid is truly at the forefront of the industry in recognizing and awarding competent, diverse businesses in the renewables sector and helping build sustainable, long-term partnerships,” said Eaton. “WECS Renewables is proud to be associated with Avangrid and their mission. This event was reflective of their significant participation in this arena.”

Avangrid’s Supplier Diversity Program promotes an inclusive environment through equitable and competitive business practices that strengthen the participation of ethnic minority-owned, women-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, veteran-owned, people with disabilities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex individuals (LGBTQI+) owned businesses in the company’s purchases of goods and services. Avangrid launched its expanded Supplier Diversity Program last year and added staff dedicated to proactively supporting diverse suppliers.

“Supplier diversity has always been something that is top of mind for me,” said Dominick Manno, Director of Sustainability & Supplier Diversity at Avangrid. “When I started my career as a buyer, my first key supplier was a minority-owned business. Now my journey has come full circle as I lead the Supplier Diversity Program at Avangrid. Today was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate this personal journey as well as the great strides we’ve made to enhance Avangrid’s Supplier Diversity Program. I’m looking forward to continuing to grow our efforts and invest in the communities where we live, work and serve.”