SCBIZ Daily Staff

GREENVILLE -- Walgreens, a national drugstore chain that also operates a distribution facility in Anderson, was one of several companies, organizations and individuals to receive recognition for outstanding achievement in promoting diversity during an awards ceremony Tuesday night.

More than 500 attended the fourth annual Upstate Diversity Leadership Awards dinner, which was presented by the Riley Institute at Furman and hosted by Greater Greenville Chamber of Commerce, in cooperation with the Anderson Area and Spartanburg Area chambers. Award recipients were recognized in the following categories: individual, business, international, nonprofit organization, college student, and high school student.

Walgreens’ Anderson Distribution Center was honored with the Outstanding Business Award. Known as the nation’s largest drugstore chain, Walgreens opened a $175 million distribution facility in Anderson in June 2007. The center was built to support the company’s expansion in the Southeast, and it is the first facility of its kind to employ and engage a significant number of people with disabilities.

Walgreens had the goal of hiring 30% of its production workforce from the disabled population. Most of their employees with disabilities have never held a job, but at Walgreens they earn the same pay and benefits as other employees for the same work.

Due to Walgreens’ commitment to diversity, the company exceeded its goal of hiring 30% disabled workers. Today, more than 38% of the current workforce has a physical or cognitive disability. Since the opening of the Walgreens distribution center, the center has been the subject of two special features regarding the hiring of people with disabilities. The “NBC Nightly News” and “ABC World News Tonight” have featured Walgreens’ focus on diversity.

Other Diversity Leadership Award recipients included: Triune Mercy Center for the Outstanding Non-Profit Organization Award; the Hispanic-American Women’s Association for the Outstanding Contribution to International Diversity Award; Dr. Harry B. Shucker for the Calder D. Ehrmann Outstanding Individual Award; Damaris Taylor, a senior at Greenville High School Academy, for the Outstanding High School Student Award; and Ladarius Thompson for the Outstanding College Student Award.