In this report, “Building Diversity into the Equipment Distribution Industry,” we examine the current landscape of the
most recent and urgent opportunity facing the CEI – the recruitment, retention and promotion of a highly-skilled diverse
workforce. In doing so, we unabashedly engage the $1.3 trillion (current estimated value of the CEI) question of why this
traditional, growth-minded industry should care about diversity, equity, and inclusion, from the C-suite to the job site.
we then provide strategic suggestions and recommendations to OEMs and distributor dealers to help them better navigate
the critical opportunity ahead. The research presented contains firsthand and secondhand accounts that bring insight
into the three motivating inquiries that drive this project:
1. What are some of the roadblocks and challenges that minorities in the CEI face?
2. How can the CEI recruit more minorities into the workforce?
3. How does the CEI open doors for minority-owned distributors?