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MBN USA

August 22, 2022

Entergy spent $1.3 billion with in diverse suppliers in 2021

The Billion Dollar Roundtable Inc. (BDR) recently announced that Entergy Corp., an energy provider to millions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, has joined the top-level corporate advocacy organization that promotes supplier diversity excellence and best practices.

Entergy joins an exclusive group of U.S.-based corporations that attain $1 billion or more annually in Tier 1 supply-chain diversity spend, the threshold for BDR membership. Entergy spent $1.3 billion with diverse firms in 2021, most in its history.

The Billion Dollar Roundtable will honor Entergy at a formal induction ceremony today during its annual summit in Jersey City, N.J.

“The energy sector represents a key segment for supply-chain engagement for diverse companies as regional territories and local communities have traditionally relied on their utilities as partners for economic empowerment. With more than a century of service to the Gulf Coast region of the United States, Entergy will offer a unique perspective to the work of the Billion Dollar Roundtable that will allow us to make greater inroads for engagement in the industry,” said BDR Chairman Shelley Stewart Jr.

Long recognized as a business partner of choice that works with the people in the communities in which it serves, Entergy became the first electric utility holding company in the United States in 1987 to pledge all its operating companies to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's Declaration of Fair Share Principles that advance opportunities for African Americans and ethnic minorities in four major aspects of its business operations, including procurement. Entergy’s supplier diversity strategy involves engaging continuously with diverse supply chain partners in its multi-state business service areas to identify opportunities that help diverse suppliers meet their business objectives.

“Entergy is proud to be one of the newest members of the Billion Dollar Roundtable,” said Marlon Merritt, Entergy’s chief supply officer. “This achievement is the result of a concerted effort by our supplier diversity team and employees across the company who understand the importance of supplier diversity. As a team, we are committed to increasing annual spending with diverse firms and strengthening Entergy’s economic impact in diverse communities.”

Entergy joins these major U.S.-based corporations as member companies of the BDR: Adient, Apple Inc., AT&T Inc., Avis Budget Group, Bank of America, The Boeing Co., CDW, Comcast NBCUniversal, Cummins Inc., CVS Health, Dell Inc., Exelon Corp., Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp., Google, The Home Depot, Honda North America, IBM Corp., Johnson & Johnson, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Kaiser-Permanente, The Kroger Co., Merck & Co., Meta, Microsoft Corp., Pacific Gas and Electric Co., Procter & Gamble Co., Stellantis, Toyota Motor North America Inc., Verizon Communications Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

“Our member companies welcome Entergy’s participation in the Billion Dollar Roundtable. The BDR is an organization that seeks to drive supply-chain diversity excellence through collaboration, thought leadership and best-practices sharing. We entered our third decade as an organization in 2021, and Entergy joins us at a great time in our history to ensure greater participation of diverse companies into corporate supply chains,” said BDR President and CEO Sharon Patterson.

ABOUT THE BILLION DOLLAR ROUNDTABLE

The Billion Dollar Roundtable, created in 2001, is a non-profit organization that comprises corporations that each spend $1 billion or more annually on a Tier 1 basis with diverse suppliers. The BDR recognizes and celebrates corporations that achieve this status and promotes and shares best practices in supply-chain diversity excellence. BDR member companies review and discuss issues, challenges and strategies related to supplier diversity as a means to advance supply chain opportunities for both corporations and diverse suppliers. The BDR is publisher of the title “Supplier Diversity Best Practices: Building Excellence to Improve the Supply Chain Matrix.” For more information about the BDR, visit www.billiondollarroundtable.org/.

ABOUT ENTERGY

Entergy, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in New Orleans, powers life for 3 million customers through its operating companies across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy is creating a cleaner, more resilient energy future for everyone with our diverse power generation portfolio, including increasingly carbon-free energy sources. With roots in the Gulf South region for more than a century, Entergy is a recognized leader in corporate citizenship, delivering more than $100 million in economic benefits to local communities through philanthropy and advocacy efforts annually over the last several years. Our approximately 12,000 employees are dedicated to powering life today and for future generations. Learn more at entergy.com and follow @Entergy on social media.