Overview

Requirements

How We Define Diversity Suppliers
Our goal, passion, and mission is to foster relationships with diverse suppliers to build a better community and quality furniture.

Herman Miller follows nationally established definitions for diversity suppliers created by the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), and the National Gay Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC).

For your convenience, we've included a brief explanation of the NMSDC, WBENC, SBA, and NGLCC guidelines below. For more detailed information, please use the links provided on each organization's website.

National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) Certification Process
The NMSDC uses standardized procedures to ensure consistent and identical review and certification of minority-owned businesses. An NMSDC affiliate located near the company's headquarters conducts the certification.

The NMSDC defines a minority group member as an individual who is a United States citizen with at least 25 percent (1/4) minimum of Asian-Indian, Asian-Pacific, Black, Hispanic, or Native American descent. Please see the Terms and Definitions section below for complete descriptions. Applicants must provide documentation to support the 25 percent claim.

Women's Business Enterprise National Council Criteria for Certification
The WBENC guidelines require a business to meet the following:

  • Fifty-one percent ownership by a woman or women.
  • Proof of effective management of the business (operating position, by-laws, hire-fire and other decision-making roles).
  • Control of the business as evidenced by signature role on loans, leases and contracts.
  • U.S. citizenship or U.S. resident alien status.

United States Small Business Administration Small Business Categories
The SBA defines the following categories of small businesses:

  • Small Business
  • Small Disadvantaged Business
  • HUBZone
  • Disabled
  • Service-disabled Veteran
  • Veteran owned
  • Woman owned

National Gay Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Criteria for Certification
The NGLCC guidelines require a business to meet the following:

  • Be at least fifty-one percent (51%) owned, operated, managed, and controlled by an LGBT person or persons who are either U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.
  • Exercise independence from any non-LGBT business enterprise.
  • Have its principal place of business (headquarters) in the United States.
  • Have been formed as a legal entity in the United States.

Diversity Supplier Terms and Definitions
We've also provided some important terms and definitions that Herman Miller uses when referring to its supplier diversity program. Each item below contains attribution to the national organization we use to maintain our definitions.

NMSDC: National Minority Supplier Development Council
WBENC: Women's Business Enterprise National Council
SBA: United States Small Business Administration
CFR: Code of Federal Regulations

Minority Business: A for-profit enterprise, regardless of size, physically located in the United States or its trust territories, which is owned, operated and controlled by minority group members. "Minority group members" are United States citizens who are Asian, Black, Hispanic and Native American. Ownership by minority individuals means the business is at least 51 percent owned by such individuals or, in the case of a publicly owned business, at least 51 percent of the stock is owned by one or more such individuals. Further, the management and daily operations are controlled by those minority group members. (NMSDC)

Asian-Indian: A U.S. citizen whose origins are from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. (NMSDC)

Asian-Pacific: A U.S. citizen whose origins are from Japan, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, the Philippines, Thailand, Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Trust Territories of the Pacific or the Northern Marianas. (NMSDC)

Black: A U.S. citizen having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa. (NMSDC)

Hispanic: A U.S. citizen of true-born Hispanic heritage, from any of the Spanish-speaking areas of the following regions: Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean Basin only. Brazilians shall be listed under Hispanic designation for review and certification purposes. (NMSDC)

Native American: A person who is an American Indian, Eskimo, Aleut or Native Hawaiian, and regarded as such by the community of which the person claims to be a part. Native Americans must be documented members of a North American tribe, band or otherwise organized group of native people who are indigenous to the continental United States, and proof can be provided through a Native American Blood Degree Certificate (i.e., tribal registry letter, tribal roll register number). (NMSDC)