Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council
Lockheed Martin is a global provider of systems, products and services primarily focused on defense, aerospace and global security. Although headquartered in Bethesda, MD, the company employs more than 110,000 people in some 375 facilities, including a substantial presence at 22 facilities in Georgia. Lockheed Martin was born out of the merger of two pioneering aviation manufacturers launched almost simultaneously in 1912 – the Glenn L. Martin Company and the Lockheed Aircraft Company. What Glenn Martin and the Lockheed Brothers had in common was a shared drive to succeed, an innovative spirit and a vision for producing a superior airplane. For more than a century, Lockheed Martin has been driven by the vision and innovative mentality of its founders, men who could see past short-term obstacles in pursuit of a brighter tomorrow.
Lockheed Martin, now among the largest and most diversified manufacturers and defense contractors in the world, has a supplier diversity program whose roots go back 40 years. The mission of Lockheed Martin spells out the company’s overarching approach to its business – We solve complex challenges, advance scientific discovery and deliver innovative solutions to help our customers keep people safe – a simple but comprehensive view of how this trailblazer operates. Lockheed Martin is organized in four major business units, each with unique products, industry standards and requirements – Aeronautics, Mission and Fire Control, Rotary and Mission Systems and Space. The addition of Sikorsky, a prominent helicopter manufacturer, to its portfolio, has further diversified Lockheed Martin’s already expansive list of products, services and capabilities. With revenues of some $60 billion annually, the company ranks among the largest and most influential enterprises of its kind.
Lockheed Martin is one of the GMSDC’s most engaged and committed corporate partners, with a strong history of leadership, service and financial support. Raven Smith, the Supplier Diversity lead at Lockheed Martin, sits on the Board of Directors of the GMSDC. She continues the legacy of her predecessor, Vanessa Bull, who served as Board Chair for a number of years prior to her retirement in 2017. Raven, who also serves on the Board of the GMSDC’s educational arm – the Georgia Education Foundation – is a trusted ally who understands the synergy of the Lockheed Martin/GMSDC relationship. “Our company is committed to providing supplier opportunities to businesses that represent segments of society that have been traditionally disadvantaged,” she says. Two of our core values are ‘Do What’s Right’ and ‘Respect Others,’ both of which we accomplish through our diverse supplier engagement strategy. I am thrilled to partner with the GMSDC in the important work it is doing in Georgia.”
Lockheed Martin’s primary client base is the Department of Defense and governmental agencies worldwide, market segments that impose many different regulations and requirements that are not a part of the equation in other industries. Raven, who specializes in regulatory compliance, must blend the company’s desire to engage diverse suppliers with the guidelines in place for government contractors. In 2019, Lockheed Martin spent more than $330 million with nearly 150 diverse suppliers in Georgia alone, a mere fraction of the total investment across the global enterprise. Lockheed Martin is heavily invested in internship programs, supplier engagement outreach and corporate philanthropy, including a major commitment to the manufacturing and subsequent donation of PPE during the COVID – 19 pandemic. Every company has had to pivot and make adjustments during these challenging times, as we all realign our strategic focus to accommodate the new normal. Kudos to Lockheed Martin for always being a strong partner the GMSDC can count on.
