Jul 7, 2015

HMSHost Recognized For Diversity Practices by Airport Minority Advisory Council; Honored With Strategic Partner Award

BETHESDA, MD — The Airport Minority Advisory Council (AMAC) has honored global restaurateur HMSHost with the Strategic Partner Award as part of the Catalyst Awards at the 31st annual Airport Business Diversity Conference in Ft. Lauderdale this June. This award honors an AMAC corporation that has demonstrated diversity inclusion within its corporate structure of procurement and employment. Nominees are viewed within the industry as leaders for supplier diversity, best practices, and fostering business capacity with their diverse partners, as well as demonstrating support of AMAC’s goals and mission. Ron Gomes, HMSHost Vice President of Strategic Alliances accepted the award in Ft. Lauderdale.

“We are extremely proud to be honored by AMAC with the Strategic Partner Award. AMAC is a vital partner for us, and its goals are directly aligned with the goals of HMSHost. This common outlook and the efforts we collaborate on have played an important part in the many successes HMSHost has enjoyed over the years,” said HMSHost President and CEO Steve Johnson. “As one of the leading concessionaire sponsors for AMAC, we recognize and value the enrichment that working with minority and women led firms brings to our business, and we are honored that AMAC has chosen HMSHost for this recognition.”

Currently, HMSHost has more than 100 diverse partners in airports across the country, generating substantial revenue and representing 21% of HMSHost contracts. HMSHost employs a systematic approach to achieving diversity in its operations by using comprehensive national outreach programs to target local organizations and businesses through direct outreach and advertising campaigns. These efforts have led to creating contracting opportunities for diverse suppliers, design and construction firms, and concessionaires at airports across the country.

This commitment to diversity extends to HMSHost’s workforce as well. Through use of ethnocentric recruiting websites, 63% of HMSHost new hires over the last two years have been members of a minority group and 61% of new hires were women. These efforts consistently produce well-run operations, satisfied customers, and business growth for HMSHost.

The Airport Minority Advisory Council is dedicated to the promotion and participation of minority-owned, women-owned and disadvantaged business enterprises (M/W/DBEs) in airport contracting. As the only national, non-profit trade association dedicated to this purpose, AMAC has two primary goals: to eliminate the barriers to minority and women participation in the airport industry and to capitalize on the opportunities available in this multi-billion dollar industry.

HMSHost’s long-standing status as an active member of the Airport Minority Advisory Council has been demonstrated by planning AMAC conferences and seminars, introducing women and minority entrepreneurs to the airport concessions business, and supporting scholarship programs. Scholarships have also been developed to promote the advancement of future industry professionals in the minority community.