This year’s Hispanic Corporate 100 offers an impressive lineup of companies that not only talk the talk, but also walk the walk when it comes to diversity. Whether they’re coming up with innovative diversity training initiatives, doing more business with minority suppliers, donating time and funds to great causes or expanding their employee bases to include more minority workers, all of these firms go the extra mile to create opportunities for Hispanic business owners, executives, workers and charities.
It’s no wonder why, really. As of July 2003, the U.S. Hispanic population was estimated at 39.9 million (U.S. Census estimates), making people of Hispanic origin the nation’s largest ethnic minority. Hispanics constitute 13.7 percent of the nation’s total population, and account for about half of the population’s overall growth. By 2050, that number is projected to grow to 24 percent, based on the estimated 67 million Hispanics that will be added to the nation’s population over the next 45 years. It’s a gigantic marketplace, and these companies realize that hiring and promoting Latinos, and understanding the Hispanic community, makes business sense.
Here’s a peek at a few of the standouts on the 2005 list, based on the firms’ diversity training, recruitment efforts, ethnic representation on their boards and other minority business initiatives. Funding provided for Latino-related scholarships, grants and philanthropic donations are also factored into the selection process, as is a company’s overall image in the Hispanic community.