May 20, 2008

Purdue purchasing director named minority business 'Champion'

Pherson, founder of the Lafayette Supplier Diversity Development Coalition, shares the award with coalition co-founder Bill Ensign, Lafayette purchasing leader for Eli LiIly and Co., for going beyond their professional responsibilities to advance minority small business interests within the community.

Founded in 2002, the coalition invites minority and woman business leaders to its monthly meetings to present their supplier capabilities to purchasing agents from more than a dozen local businesses and corporations.

Lerry E. Holladay, XLC Services director of supply chain operations, said his company is one of several businesses that have used coalition-generated contacts to generate new business.

"This effort has provided opportunities for growth with organizations our company would have found very challenging to meet," Holladay said. "Without this coalition and the opportunities these gentlemen are providing to diverse organizations, I am positive we would not have been able to grow."

Coalition members also use the meetings to share their best practices for increasing supplier diversity.

"The coalition, including Purdue, is committed to increasing purchasing initiatives from minority, women, veteran and disadvantaged small businesses," Pherson said. "By including qualified diverse suppliers, coalition members continue to improve their competitive edge."

In 2006 the coalition partnered with Purdue's Office of Supplier Diversity to co-sponsor the two-day Supplier Diversity Seminar at Purdue. Nearly 300 minority- or women-owned businesses met with representatives from Tippecanoe County's largest employers, including Purdue, Eli Lilly, Caterpillar, Subaru of Indiana Automotive, State Farm Insurance and the City of Lafayette.

"The coalition performs a key role by providing supplier diversity outreach and educational programs," said Jesse Moore Jr., Purdue director of supplier diversity development. "It has certainly advanced Purdue's goal of strengthening our supply chain and the local business environment."

Purdue Housing and Food Services buyer Brian Van Horn, who has participated in the university's supplier diversity education and outreach initiatives, said his supplier base is now larger and more reflective of the demographics of Purdue and Indiana.

"Having a greater number of qualified suppliers to choose from improves the quality and price of the products and services we provide to our students," Van Horn said. "Strengthening Indiana small businesses and keeping a Purdue education affordable also broadens the pool of families from which we increasingly can draw students."

Susan B. Davis, regional director of the Greater Lafayette Small Business Development Center located at Purdue's Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship, nominated the coalition for the award.

"The coalition promotes the economic importance of utilizing diverse suppliers in the communities where we work and live," Davis said. "It has enhanced the economic vibrancy of Greater Lafayette."

Writer: Jim Schenke, (765) 494-6262, jschenke@purdue.edu

Sources:   Larry Pherson, (765) 494-1063, lpherson@purdue.edu

Moore, (765) 494-3739, jlmoore@purdue.edu

Brian Van Horn, (765) 494-2022, bvanhorn@purdue.edu

Susan Davis, (765) 496-6491, sbdavis@purdue.edu

Lerry Holladay, (765) 490-0305, lholladay@xlcservices.com

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

To the News Service home page