As Nashville’s largest utility, NES purchases a wide variety of products and services from truck parts to telecommunications, to office equipment, paper products and safety training.
Our goal is to make sure every company has an equal opportunity to compete for business with NES. That’s why we encourage open communication with potential vendors at our annual Supplier Diversity Awareness Day. It allows small, TN service-disabled veteran, minority and women-owned companies the opportunity to connect with NES end users and procurement staff for future business.
The speed networking format gives vendors a better understanding of the NES procurement process, and NES end users gain knowledge on new trends in various markets. Thirty-eight diversity vendors were represented.
Feedback has been positive. One vendor commented, “The best part is meeting the people you talk to on the phone and getting the chance to see what will make things easier for the business relationship.”
Over the past nine months, NES has spent $15.7 million with supplier diversity vendors, which accounts for approximately 18 percent of NES’ total contracts and purchases. Since 2005, through the NES Supplier Diversity Program, these businesses have received contracts and purchases totaling more than $178 million.
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