Overland Park, Kan.,-based Sprint Nextel is no stranger to prestigious accolades for its dedication and initiative to include veteran business owners in its supplier base. The leading telecommunications company was honored by Vetrepreneur in 2006 and 2007 and has earned a place for 2009 as one of 10 Best Corporations for Vetearn-Owned Businesses.

"It is such an honor to be named to Vetrepreneur's Best 10 Corporations for Veteran-Owned Business," said Gene Agee, vice president of Supply Chain Management for Sprint. "At Sprint, we recognize the unique value that veterans bring to our company. The veteran-owned businesses bring creativity, professionalism and a pragmatic approach to Sprint, which helps us to provide the solutions that attract and retain our customers. It's quite an honor to be named to this list. Sprint seeks out veteran-owned businesses because working with these suppliers makes smart business sense, and it is great to see that others recognize this as well."

Sprint offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services that provide mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. The company has developed numerous innovative technologies, including two wireless networks that serve more than 49 million customers. Agee acknowledged why veterans are sought-after suppliers for Sprint.

"Diverse suppliers bring diverse solutions, as they are able to look at our needs from a non-traditional approach. In addition, our customer base at Sprint is diverse, and having solutions provided by diverse suppliers allows us to better reach these customers." Agee said. "Veterans are known for their strong work ethic and willingness to work through challenges. These are the qualities Sprint looks for in suppliers."

Agee said the Supplier Diversity organization at Sprint now is part of the broader sourcing organization. He said this creates better alignment and insight for the supplier diversity organization into all the projects and purchases being undertaken by Sprint. This modification means the supplier diversity branch of the company can now align veteran-owned businesses with major business units to ensure participation in all sourcing opportunities.

"Our goal is to continue to improve the relationship and business opportunities between Sprint and veteran-owned business," Agee said. "Sprint appreciates and understands the sacrifice that veterans have made to this great county."　

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