DTE Energy invested $2.5 billion with Michigan businesses in 2022, creating and sustaining more than 11,000 jobs across the state.
The company has invested nearly $18 billion with Michigan-based suppliers since 2010, creating and sustaining 65,000 Michigan jobs. DTE invests five times more with local businesses than it did a decade ago. Last year, DTE also spent nearly $225 million with black-owned suppliers and $900 million with companies based in the city of Detroit.
“Doing business in the communities we serve puts people to work and drives Michigan’s economy forward,” said Jerry Norcia, DTE chairman and CEO. “Prioritizing partnerships with in-state suppliers is a big part of our commitment to improving people’s lives because it gives local businesses new opportunities to succeed. And the best part is these partnerships enable us to deliver higher quality, lower cost service for our customers.”
DTE is a founding member of Pure Michigan Business Connect, a public-private initiative that encourages businesses to buy from Michigan suppliers and connects local companies with in-state opportunities. DTE requires that most new bids include at least two Michigan companies.
For The Roy Smith Company, a minority-owned DTE supplier headquartered in Detroit since 1924, the long-standing business partnership provides stability during turbulent economic times.
“When times get tough, having a good reliable customer like DTE is critical,” said Vice President Ryan Murphy. “It enables us to keep our staff and continue moving forward so we come out stronger on the other side.”
The company provides industrial gas, welding supplies and chemicals for DTE’s power plants and service centers. Murphy says the successful supplier relationship is built on similar values.
“DTE has such a huge emphasis on supplier diversity, and we feel the same way,” he said. “We like to do business with small, diverse-owned start-ups located in Detroit. We’ve learned from partnering with DTE that giving back and bringing new people into the fold grows a community.”
Karl Johnson, president, and chief financial officer of Diversified Chemical Technologies, also a minority-owned supplier, agrees. The company operates provides maintenance, materials, and operational support at DTE’s power plants.
“DTE has a long-established commitment to making sure their supplier base looks like their customer base,” he said. “We connect with that because our passion is giving back to the community.”
DTE has earned 54 supplier diversity industry awards since 2018 and has led organizations like the National Minority Supplier Development Council.
“Expanding opportunities for a diverse range of business owners is critical to ensuring the success of our state,” Jaspreet Singh, Corporate Services vice president said. “That’s why we seek out diverse small and medium businesses and connect them with new growth opportunities. We’ve replicated this success over and over again to generate thousands of jobs.”
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