Interface, a commercial carpet company, set out 10 years ago to see how it could build an inclusive business in its supply chain. A failed program and several iterations later, the work they’ve done through their Net-Works program has earned them a U.S. State Department Corporate Excellence Award.
The U.S. Department of State presented its annual awards for corporate excellence on Thursday, recognizing businesses such as General Electric in Saudi Arabia and McDonald’s Deutschland in Germany for their inclusive hiring practices, and Bureo in Chile and Interface in the Philippines for oceans management.
Interface leaders are open about the challenges they’ve faced in their efforts to create a more sustainable supply chain. Erin Meezan, Interface’s chief sustainability officer, said she hopes the award will be an opportunity to share the company’s experience so others can learn from it.