Owens & Minor Announces Winners of 2021 Earl G. Reubel Awards

Awardees Represent Healthcare Industry Leaders in Diversity and Inclusion

RICHMOND, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Owens & Minor, Inc. announced winners for the 2021 Earl G. Reubel Awards during its tenth annual ceremony held yesterday. Launched in 2012 by Owens & Minor in collaboration with Kerma Medical Products, Inc., and the Healthcare Supplier Diversity Alliance (HSDA), the annual Earl G. Reubel Awards honor individuals and organizations that are leaders in diversity and inclusion within the healthcare supply industry. This year’s awardees were recognized during the Healthcare Supplier Diversity Alliance (HSDA) Conference held virtually on December 16.

Awards were distributed in three categories: Civic Leadership, Diverse Enterprise, and Large Corporation.

• Deborah Williams received the Earl G. Reubel Civic Leader of the Year Award for her community advocacy work while serving as Senior Director of Supplier Diversity at Premier, Inc. Her dedication to supplier diversity recently earned her a finalist position from the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDCHQ) Supplier Diversity Professional of the Year award.

• SDVOSB Laboratory, which is short for Service Disabled, Veteran Owned, Small Businesses, received the Earl G. Reubel Diverse Enterprise of the Year Award in recognition of its differentiated service and commitment to opening the door for opportunities to create meaningful jobs for veterans and the disabled.

• Premier, Inc. received the Earl G. Reubel Large Corporation of the Year Award for its culture of diversity and inclusion evident in the company’s revitalized Council on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiative, which now includes recruitment practices to increase diversity at the executive leadership level.

“Owens & Minor continually invests in supplier diversity and development as part of a commitment to supply chain excellence in service of our Mission of Empowering Our Customers to Advance Healthcare,” said Edward A. Pesicka, President and CEO of Owens & Minor, who presented the Awards during the HSDA Ceremony. “This year’s Earl G. Reubel Award winners exemplify the spirit of inclusion and innovation that will continue to propel the industry forward as together we serve the evolving needs of healthcare.”

The Earl G. Reubel Awards are named in honor of the late Earl G. Reubel, founder of Kerma Medical Products, one of the largest veteran-, minority-owned medical supply companies in the country, and Owens & Minor’s long-time supplier partner.

“We extend sincerest congratulations to each of this year’s winners and look forward to the difference each will continue to make in the future,” said Andrea Reubel-Walker, Director of Marketing and Key National Accounts for Kerma Medical Products, and Secretary of the Healthcare Supplier Diversity Alliance.

“Deborah Williams, SDVOSB, and Premier all play an essential role in addressing the complexities of healthcare supply,” continued Pesicka. “Owens & Minor is proud to celebrate their achievement and strengthen our combined dedication and efforts to drive progress across the healthcare supply chain.”

About Owens & Minor

Owens & Minor, Inc. (NYSE: OMI) is a global healthcare solutions company that incorporates product manufacturing, distribution support and innovative technology services to deliver significant and sustained value across the breadth of the industry – from acute care to patients in their home. Aligned to its Mission of Empowering Our Customers to Advance Healthcare^TM, more than 15,000 global teammates serve over 4,000 healthcare industry customers. A vertically-integrated, predominantly Americas-based footprint enables Owens & Minor to reliably supply its self-manufactured surgical and PPE products. This seamless value chain integrates with a portfolio of products representing 1,200 branded suppliers. Operating continuously since 1882 from its headquarters in Richmond, Virginia, Owens & Minor has grown into a FORTUNE 500 company with operations located across North America, Asia, Europe and Latin America. For more information about Owens & Minor, visit owens-minor.com, follow @Owens_Minor on Twitter and connect on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/owens-&-minor.