With more than 15,000 employees and revenues exceeding $4.7 billion last year, Owens Corning (OC) is a household name. Its clever Pink Panther marketing icon easily helps shoppers identify Owens Corning’s products when compared to its competitors. Take a walk in the building materials department of your local Home Depot and you’re sure to see pallet after pallet of shingles and roll after roll of fiberglass insulation bearing the OC logo.

According to its supplier diversity statement, “Owens Corning considers it a business imperative to enhance the diversity of its supplier base.” Well, that “imperative” does not specifically include vetrepreneurs as OC only specifically targets small businesses owned by women, minorities and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender (LGBT) as preferred vendors in the supplier diversity program. (Source: http://sustainability.owenscorning.com/contents/Employees/Supplier-Diversity/.)

Owens Corning refused repeated requests to provide comment for this article, but its supplier diversity statement continues to insist that “the housing industry predicts that women, minorities and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender (LGBT) will be major drivers for home ownership in years to come. We realize that diversity in our workforce and among our suppliers will play a major role in helping attract this growing market of diverse customers.”

What about veterans? With the end of combat operations in Iraq and the scaling back of American forces in Afghanistan, won’t veterans also be major drivers for home ownership in the coming years? Especially given the VA home loan program? How many other groups have a group home loan program just for them?

Think about this the next time you plan to upgrade insulation or replace your roof. Until OC decides to put veteran-owned businesses on par with other groups, perhaps you should consider spending your hard-earned money with OC’s competitors.

To learn more visit www.navoba.com/OC.

Comments