NEW YORK--August 23, 2010--Two companies that have been longtime participants in Time Warner Cable’s Supplier Diversity program today were named the cable provider’s primary vendors for customer remote controls and backup power supplies.
Universal Remote Control Inc., of Harrison, N.Y., will supply 80 percent of Time Warner Cable’s customer remote controls. The contract, which runs through 2011, more than doubles Universal’s business with Time Warner Cable, the nation’s second largest provider of cable and broadband services.
Alpha Technologies Inc., of Bellingham, Wash., will supply the majority of Time Warner Cable’s batteries and power supplies under a one-year contract. Time Warner Cable uses Alpha’s technology for backup power throughout its nationwide plant.
“Universal Remote Control and Alpha Technologies have been longtime supplier partners offering Time Warner Cable great business value as minority-owned firms,” said David Wiehagen, senior director for strategic procurement at Time Warner Cable. “We are pleased to announce that they were awarded the position as primary vendors for remote controls and power supplies after competing for our business.”
Wiehagen added: “These new agreements will enable us to continue offering our customers technologically advanced remote controls that are simple and easy to use, along with reliable backup power to ensure our customers’ access to TWC’s advanced voice, video and high-speed data services.”
Universal Remote Control’s track record for responsive customer service and its ability to supply specialty remote controls – such as devices with larger numbers for people with poor eyesight – were key factors in Time Warner Cable’s decision to expand its relationship with Universal.
“We’re delighted that we have been chosen by Time Warner Cable to be its primary supplier of remote controls,” said Chang K. Park, CEO of Universal Remote Control, Inc. “This significant expansion of our relationship, which started nearly 10 years ago, confirms our mutual commitment to high quality and outstanding customer service. We sincerely appreciate the confidence TWC has placed in us, and the validation of our vast control code library.”
“Alpha, through their licensed contract manufacturer Altair Advanced Industries Inc., has been a Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) supplier to the communications industry for more than 30 years,” said Grace Borsari, owner and CEO of Altair. “We’ve grown together with Time Warner Cable, and the cable broadband industry as a whole, and we are proud of our position as a MWBE supplying the premier cable provider in the market. Time Warner Cable has really contributed to our success as a major customer for many years, and we value that as recognition of our uncompromising commitment to quality, value and reliability.”
Time Warner Cable has a long history of supporting diversity and inclusion. The company was ranked 23rd on the 2010 Diversity Inc Top 50 Companies for Diversity® and ranked No. 6 on Diversity Inc’s 2010 list of Top 10 Companies for Latinos. Last month, Time Warner Cable launched a Spanish-language version of its Web site for customers in the Northeast. The company also presented 100 Major League Baseball games in Spanish in Texas and Los Angeles.
Time Warner Cable purchases more than $200 million a year in supplies and services from certified Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises (MWBE). The company is actively recruiting minority and women-owned vendors interested in participating in the Supplier Diversity program. MWBE businesses are encouraged to sign up at www.twcablesupplierdiversity.com.
About Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) is the second-largest cable operator in the U.S., with technologically advanced, well-clustered systems located in five geographic areas—New York State (including New York City), the Carolinas, Ohio, southern California (including Los Angeles) and Texas. Time Warner Cable serves more than 14 million customers who subscribe to one or more of its video, high-speed data and voice services. Time Warner Cable Business Class offers a suite of phone, Internet, Ethernet and cable television services to businesses of all sizes. Time Warner Cable Media Sales, the advertising arm of Time Warner Cable, offers national, regional and local companies innovative advertising solutions that are targeted and affordable. More information about the services of Time Warner Cable is available at www.timewarnercable.com.
