Diversity in the Workplace and Supply Chain: The Tek Pak Vendor Diversity Program

Creating and welcoming a diverse workplace is one major factor that has allowed Tek Pak to become an industry leader. A recent recipient of the 2023 Daily Herald Suburban Business' Diversity Business Award, Tek Pak's award-winning employee diversity, equity, inclusivity, and accessibility (DEIA) commitment is well known. Today, we'd like to focus on Tek Pak's Vendor Diversity Program, which includes working with a diverse set of suppliers, manufacturers, and partners of varying sizes, ownership structures (women-owned, etc.), geographical regions, and ethnicities. 

At Tek Pak, diversity is felt to include all similarities and differences we each possess based on, but not limited to, the characteristics we were born with, experiences had, and choices made. Tek Pak embraces a working relationship with a multiplicity of vendors and suppliers. Eight percent of Tek Pak's vendor portfolio includes organizations representing diversity, inclusion, and equity. Tek Pak is committed to providing Small Businesses and diverse suppliers equal access to our sourcing needs. The goal is to build a more inclusive and equitable supply chain that represents the global marketplace's diversity. 

Tek Pak's Tek Pak's Vendor Diversity Program includes a strategy to vet and ascertain the best from their vendor base, focusing on specific variables and considerations, including the following:

• Education and Training: Provide procurement teams with diversity and inclusion training to enhance awareness about prejudices and promote equitable vendor selection procedures.
• Supplier Development Programs: Develop programs that offer support, mentorship, and resources to a wide range of vendors, assisting them in meeting industry standards and building capacity.
• Transparent Sourcing: To attract diverse suppliers and encourage them to participate in bidding procedures, clearly explain the company's commitment to vendor diversity.
• Collaborative Innovation: Encourage partnerships and collaborations with a wide range of vendors to co-create innovative packaging solutions that address changing customer demands.
• Metrics and Accountability: Develop measures to assess the performance of vendor diversity initiatives and hold leadership accountable for meeting diversity objectives.

Tek Pak has always found great joy and success when implementing diversity-focused initiatives, and the Vendor Diversity Program is no different. It is Tek Pak's goal by 2025 to build an even more diverse, resilient, and responsible supply chain vendor base to continue to enhance the Tek Pak brand, services, products, and customer experience. In the ever-evolving and dynamic world of thermoforming and thin-plastic packaging, embracing vendor diversity is not just a trend but a necessity for sustained growth, innovation, and social responsibility. Tek Pak takes great pride in their vendor diversity initiatives and planning for the future. For more information on the Tek Pak Vendor Diversity Program, please visit the Diversity 2025 web page or call (630) 406-0560 to learn more.