The Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. (ChicagoMSDC), a premier organization for increasing business opportunities between major buying organizations and minority-owned businesses, announced Aramark, the leading U.S.- based food service provider, as the 2020 Presenting Sponsor of The PIPE Program (Progress, Insight & Performance Education), an advanced business management program for minority-owned businesses.
Aramark, an Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce corporate member, spends $150 million each year with small and diverse suppliers in Illinois, with about 45 percent based in Chicago.
Under the partnership, Aramark will sponsor 20 minority-owned businesses through the ChicagoMSDC — more than doubling the program’s participation.
The PIPE Program is an eight-week, advanced business management program designed to provide participants from diverse owned companies (a diverse business is generally defined as one that is 51 percent owned and controlled by women, ethnic minorities, veterans, LGBTQ+, or disabled person(s)), with the skills and knowledge needed to optimize their business.
The course covers strategic planning, managing operational goals, business ethics, project management, and introduction to supply chain management.
Aramark is leveraging its Employee Resource Group network in this initiative. Specifically, members of Aramark LEAD (Leaders and Employees of African Descent), who will have opportunities to engage with these diverse businesses and ChicagoMSDC in various committees and educational sessions throughout the year in support of the PIPE program.
As part of its broader sustainability strategy, Be Well. Do Well., which encompasses ethical and inclusive sourcing, Aramark is committed to increasing overall spend with small and diverse suppliers to 25 percent by 2025.
The Company’s robust supply chain already includes more than 6,000 small or diverse suppliers and supports more than 14,000 jobs across the United States, for a total economic impact of $1.9 billion, annually.
In January, Aramark announced a partnership with Certify My Company to assist self-classified suppliers in the Company’s supply chain obtain third-party diversity certifications.
Applications are now being accepted for The PIPE Program – Cohort 3, which will take place virtually from September 15, 2020 to November 3, 2020.