Supplier Information

Our Suppliers

Working with our Suppliers is an important part of managing the overall waste cycle. Every day, office products such as printer cartridges and toners can quickly accumulate and negatively impact our environment. At Southwest, we work with our Suppliers to purchase recycled toners and cartridges and then return them for further recycling, thus extending their use and eliminating them from the waste cycle. We are devoted to finding Suppliers who meet our levels of Customer Service and our high standards of efficiency and help us achieve our commitment to Supplier Diversity.

The Mission of the Purchasing Department

While adhering to the Company Mission Statement, we are committed to maintaining Southwest Airlines' low-cost Leadership through effective and efficient procurement, fuel management, facilities construction, and project management practices--ensuring that we spend our valuable capital wisely.

We support disadvantaged, small, minority-owned, and women-owned businesses when they can meet our quality and cost objectives. We have an active Supplier Diversity Program at Southwest Airlines.

All suppliers are treated fairly and impartially during the evaluation and selection process. We use more than one selection process, depending on Company requirements and supply market conditions. Each selection process, however, is focused on the most efficient way to achieve the same results, the best value combination of quality, reliability, and service for Southwest Airlines at the lowest total cost.

It is important that everyone involved in the procurement process-- the Purchasing Department, our Internal Customers, and our suppliers and potential suppliers-- all have a common understanding of the Southwest Airlines procurement process. This helps us maintain our goal of acheiving low-cost Leadership and a high standard of Customer Service.

Our Procurement Ethics

Southwest Airlines expects all internal and external participants in the procurement process to observe the highest standards of ethical conduct. We expect business to be conducted in accordance with the Southwest Airlines Code of Ethics and with our Company Procurement Ethics. Efficiency means effective use of resources (energy, people, and materials), and we strive to be as productive as possible while minimizing waste and protecting the Earth. This attitude is a part of Southwest's DNA and, as such, we are the world's most efficient airline. Southwest has instituted a Green Procurement Survey that allows us to obtain information from our key suppliers on their environmental initiatives and current performance. This survey has enabled us to better understand how our suppliers perform and provides a mechanism to share Environmental Best Practices.

Indicate Interest in Southwest

Interested in becoming a Southwest Supplier?  Send your company information to Procurement@wnco.com.  Include all contact information: name, address, phone, preferred email.  Be sure to include up to 3 commodities.  Southwest will process your message and respond to you.  If you are a small or diverse Supplier, send an email with the same information to Supplier.Diversity@wnco.com.

Small & Diverse Businesses

To qualify as Diverse, a business must be at least 51% owned, controlled, and actively operated by one or more members of the following groups: ethnic minority, women, Veteran, persons with disabilities, gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. To qualify as a Certified Small Business, a business must meet criteria set forth by the U.S. Small Business Administration. For more information please view our Supplier Diversity Program brochure.

Southwest Supports

Women Business Enterprises (WBE)
Veteran Business Enterprises (VBE)
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Business Enterprises (GLBT)
Small Businesses (SB)
Minority Business Enterprises (MBE)

Wynne Success Story

Wynne Sedan & Limousine Group (Wynne) is a Dallas-based, small, women-owned transportation company that provides shuttle service for the Headquarters Employee shuttle route, transportation for Dallas-based training classes, as well as special events in all Southwest cities.

Wynne has determined that their CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) vehicles are more efficient than their gasoline powered vehicles, and these clean burning vehicles help reduce unwanted particulates outside and inside of the vehicle. They are helping set standards within the motorcoach industry for a permanent "Green Certification" program through participation in an 18-month research project with the University of Vermont.

Conclusion

At Southwest, we strive to be as efficient as possible while holding our Suppliers to low cost and ethical standards. Our Southwest Cares Report provides comprehensive information about our annual efforts to report our environmental progress and illustrates how we participate in our communities, treat our People, and source our suppliers. For more information, view our Companywide Procurement Policy or our Supplier Diversity Program brochure.