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EQT’s doing ‘the right work, the right way, for the right reasons’—wins award for supplier diversity

LANCE HYDE of EQT shares a moment with one of his suppliers, Dennis Garrett, CEO of Blue Lake – Pacifica Energy Group LLC, the recipient of the Class II Supplier of the Year Award. (Photo by Diane I. Daniels)

The last few months at EQT Corporation have been quite busy.
Their Supplier Diversity Initiative has been recognized for their accomplishments, it has separated into two publicly-traded companies and a new president and chief executive officer has been appointed.
When hearing EQT’s name called as the winner of the Corporation of the Year Award by the National Minority Supplier Development Council, Donald “Blue” Jenkins said, “I was humbled and honored to be part of EQT’s recognition for this very prestigious award. I was very pleased for EQT to be recognized at a national level for our ongoing dedication to supplier diversity in our operational footprint. We have been very committed for several years to the diversity program, and to be recognized for our efforts is a wonderful honor for all the employees who support the program every day.”
Jenkins is Executive Vice President, Commercial Business Development, Information Technology and Safety.
DONALD “BLUE” JENKINS, EQT’s executive vice president, commercial business development.

The award was presented in October during NMSDC’s annual Conference and Business Opportunity Exchange in Austin, Texas.
Also humbled and honored by the recognition was Lance Hyde, EQT’s diversity manager. He said that “knowing our company’s commitment to supplier diversity and years of hard work have gained appreciation from the global leaders in diversity is truly gratifying and inspires us to be even better moving forward.”
EQT is the first Oil and Gas corporation and only corporation headquartered in Pittsburgh to win such an award.
PITTSBURGH IN THE HOUSE—Lance Hyde, third from left, EQT’s diversity manager, receives the National Corporation of the Year Award during the 2018 Choice Awards from John Bettis, President of Bettis Brothers Sand & Gravel, Valarie J. Cofield, President & CEO of EMSDCE, and Lester Jones, director of New Business and Workforce Development at Bettis Brothers. (Photo by Diane I. Daniels)

One of the country’s leading corporate membership organizations, NMSDC advances business opportunities for certified minority business enterprises and connects them to corporate members. It provides increased procurement and business opportunities for minority businesses of all sizes.
Two weeks ago, in Philadelphia, EQT also received the National Corporation of the Year Award during the 2018 Choice Awards presented by the Eastern Minority Supplier Development Council. The award, considered prestigious by EMSDC, was presented to EQT for remaining steadfast in their commitment to diverse suppliers in their supply chain and for creating substantial business opportunities for NMSDC-certified MBEs. Quoting from advice once given to him, Hyde, while accepting the award, said, “If you do the right thing, the right work, the right way, for the right reasons then you usually gain the right results. At EQT we believe that we are doing the right thing, but we are not complacent and know there is so much more work that we need to do. We know that when women only make up 13 percent and minorities collectively as a whole make up less than 15 percent of all jobs in the oil and gas industry, we are aware that we need to do a better job at bridging that gap and supporting MBEs. If a small company with less than 1,000 employees in Pittsburgh can spend over a billion dollars this year alone with diverse firms, if we all work together as one team with one shared goal to advance business opportunities to help develop MBEs, think of the magnitude of the positive social economic impact it could make in this region.”
Hyde continued: “Just imagine how many jobs will be created for women and people of color for individuals within our communities that might have made a poor choice in life and rely on MBEs to provide them with a second chance, so they can feed their families. Think of how much economic wealth that we can help generate in solely underserved communities within our operational footprint. If we do this, I assure you that we will collectively make this entire region become diverse and more inclusive and as we all know, when communities become more diverse and inclusive it simply creates better communities for all of us to live in.”
The award was presented by John Bettis and Lester Jones of Bettis Brothers Sand and Gravel. Pleased with the success of the evening, Valarie J. Cofield, President and CEO of EMSDC, shared with the sold-out audience that the Choice Awards is their opportunity to recognize and celebrate excellence and innovation in the Council by those who demonstrate a commitment and passion towards economic inclusion and minority businesses.
“Tonight, we celebrate the power of creating seats at the table for minority businesses and the power it has on our communities, our families, our businesses and our economy,” she said.
With 130 years of experience and a long-standing history of good corporate citizenship, EQT is the largest producer of natural gas in the U.S. and known as a leader in the use of advanced horizontal drilling technology. Considered a strong supporter of having a supplier diversity program, Jenkins says EQT recognizes the value of diversity in their supplier relationships.
“We are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse supplier base by consistently seeking out and using the commodities and services they provide. We believe that diversity in our workforce is an immeasurable asset, and an integral part of any company’s success.”
Last month, EQT announced that the spin-off of Equitrans Midstream Corporation, a company formed by EQT to hold EQT’s midstream business in the context of the separation of EQT’s upstream and midstream businesses, has been completed and that Robert J. McNally is the new President and Chief Executive Officer of EQT.
“As we begin a new chapter in EQT’s 130-year history, I am very excited about what the future holds for the company,” McNally said in a statement. “EQT is in a great strategic position to renew our focus on the upstream business and develop the premier natural gas asset base in Appalachia. Our commitment to capital discipline and operational efficiencies will drive value for our shareholders, our employees and the communities where we operate.”
 
 
 
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