WHAT IS
VALUING
DIVERSITY
BNSF
SUPPLIER DIVERSITY
AT BNSF?
Diverse Business
Enterprise Owners:
This brochure has
been made to
acquaint you with
the process for
developing and
utilizing womenand minority-owned
firms and small
business enterprises
as suppliers. We
hope that by informing you about our procurement
process, we can establish a working relationship that
will benefit both of our companies. Please take a few
minutes to read this brochure, and contact us if you
have questions.
AND
DIVERSE
BUSINESS
ENTERPRISES
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Email [email protected]
Call Billye Tolbert at (817) 352-3909
Fax (817) 352-2651
WHO IS
BNSF?
Burlington Northern Santa Fe
Railway, headquartered in Fort
Worth, Texas, is one of the
largest railroad networks in
North America, with 32,500
route miles and 36,000
employees in 28 states and two
Canadian provinces. BNSF is
a $9 billion company.
Our vision is to realize the tremendous potential
of BNSF by providing transportation services that
consistently meet our customers’ expectations.
We view diversity as a business necessity, a
business opportunity and a moral imperative. To
achieve diversity, BNSF must undertake strategies
and actions that recognize, accept, value and
utilize the differences and similarities among all
applicants, employees, customers, suppliers, and
the community.
WHY DO
BUSINESS
WITH BNSF?
“Diversity can no
longer be just
another program,
it must become a
way of life,”
Matt Rose, BNSF
chairman, president
and CEO.
What does
BNSF Railway
need? It needs
supply partners
in order remain
competitive and
cost efficient.
BNSF is committed to diversity in the
marketplace and workforce. In 1999, BNSF
launched its Diverse Business Enterprise (DBE)
process to identify, attract and do business with
companies that are certified as a women-,
minority-owned or small disadvantaged
business enterprises.
Supplier diversity is an integral part of BNSF’s
overall commitment to diversity. BNSF’s DBE
program proactively solicits certified women-,
minority-owned, and small disadvantaged
businesses to establish mutually beneficial, longterm partnerships.
HOW IS BNSF
REACHING
DBE BUSINESSES?
Although certified
DBE suppliers
are welcome to
directly contact
BNSF, we also
use a threeprong approach
to increasing
the dollars spent with DBE certified businesses.
At the national level, BNSF works through
groups such as the National Minority Supplier
Development Council and the Small Business
Administration (SBA) to identify potential
DBE suppliers.
At the regional level, BNSF is involved with
various regional minority development and
Women’s Business Councils, and on the local
level, BNSF plays an active role in many minority
Chambers of Commerce.
WHO IS
ELIGIBLE?
To participate, your business must be certified as
an MBE, WBE or Small Disadvantaged Business
through a qualified certifying agency such as:
• The National Minority Supplier
Development Council (NMSDC)
• Women’s Business Enterprises National
Council (WBENC)
• Small Business Administration (SBA)
(Disadvantaged, HubZone, and 8(a).
HOW TO
BEGIN?
To begin the process of
doing business with us,
please access our web
site www.bnsf.com,
go to the “About Us”
section and complete
and submit the supplier
verification form, along
with an electronic or
faxed copy of certification.