SRP and Other Arizona Utilities Host Third “Better Together” Business Summit to Strengthen Local Supply Chain
SRP, Arizona Public Service (APS) and Southwest Gas hosted the third annual “Better Together” Business Summit & Expo to connect local, small and diverse business owners to large suppliers and leaders from the utility sector.
The event was held at the PERA Training and Conference Center on Jan. 29 and drew more than 320 attendees. It featured over 70 exhibitors, four breakout sessions and a fireside chat with Rob Taylor, SRP Associate General Manager and Chief Public Affairs and Corporate Services Executive, alongside executives from APS and Southwest Gas.
Suppliers, community partners and utility professionals came together to strengthen partnerships that support small and diverse businesses. Discussions focused on helping suppliers better understand utility needs while expanding SRP’s and partner utilities’ supplier pipelines.
"The conversations and connections formed between suppliers and our utility teams truly captures the purpose of this event," said Erika Castro, SRP Supplier Diversity Manager. "Relationships are foundational to our work, and the commitment to supporting small, local and diverse businesses has a lasting benefit for our community."
Diverse suppliers are essential to building a strong and adaptable supply chain. Their capabilities broaden the range of qualified vendors utilities can rely on, while also supporting local economic development and expanding opportunities for small and diverse businesses across Arizona.
"The Better Together event hosted by SRP was a well-organized event that bridges the gap between small businesses, major utility buyers, and other large prime contractors. It provided an invaluable deep dive into the sector's current challenges while offering a clear roadmap for small enterprises to scale and support large-scale organizations—truly a can't miss event for fostering meaningful industry connections." said Emilio Gonzalez, Expand Consulting Group.
SRP is committed to a diverse supply chain for the benefit of its customers, employees and communities. In FY24, SRP spent over $288 million with over 760 small/local and diverse businesses across the Valley.
To learn about Supplier Diversity at SRP visit srpnet.com/supplierdiversity or contact the Supplier Diversity team at (602) 236-8671.
SRP is a community-based, not-for-profit public power utility and the largest electricity provider in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area, serving about 1.2 million customers. SRP provides water to about 2.5 million Valley residents, delivering 260 billion gallons of water (800,000 acre-feet) each year, and manages a 13,000-square-mile watershed that includes an extensive system of reservoirs, wells, irrigation laterals, and 131 miles of canals.