We couldn’t be prouder. Last week, Plantronics was presented with the 2013 Secretary of State’s Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE) by John Kerry, the United States Secretary of State, at a ceremony at the Department of State in Washington, DC. The award recognizes American companies for global corporate citizenship, exemplary employment practices, environmental stewardship and innovative business practices. Plantronics received the first-ever ACE award for a medium-sized business and was recognized for our high quality of community and employee engagement, and environmental practices at our largest facility in Tijuana, Mexico.
Secretary of State Kerry said, ““The premium that Plantronics places on environmental stewardship alone probably would be enough to earn them the award. But it’s what they do with their employees that really sets them apart. Plantronics does not just value their employees; they invest in them in every way — in their health, success and their happiness.”
In selecting Plantronics as an ACE winner, an interagency committee chaired by the State Department noted the company’s sophisticated 120-employee design center, partnerships with local colleges and trade schools to provide work-school collaboration assistance and health care initiatives. Approximately 2,200 of Plantronics’ 3,500 global employees work in Mexico.
Upon accepting the award, Plantronics president and CEO Ken Kannappan said that Plantronics’ focus on our people, giving back to our communities and being responsible stewards of the environment are central to our identity, our culture and our position as a leader in audio communications.
U.S. Secretaries of State have awarded the ACE since 1999 to recognize American companies that are leaders in socially responsible activities and contribute to the overall growth and development of the local economy in which they work.