NiSource celebrates diverse suppliers at first Supplier Day event

Company announces commitment to diverse suppliers

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NiSource is committed to increased spending with diverse suppliers and is focused on reaching 25% diverse supplier spend by 2025 to ensure the company's inclusive supply chain reflects the customers they serve. Senior leadership told suppliers last week at NiSource's inaugural Supplier Day about the industry's future and NiSource's plans to grow and develop together through continued collaboration. 

"Our commitment to supplier diversity and economic inclusion are key priorities for us as an organization," said Lloyd Yates, president and CEO of NiSource. "We have a clear direction to grow our business with current diverse suppliers and seek opportunities to develop innovative partnerships with new suppliers. We believe the growth and development of diverse suppliers fosters an inclusive environment that benefits our customers and the communities we serve."

In order to achieve its "25-By-25" goal, the company is revising its Source-to-Pay process, training and progress monitoring procedures.

Additionally, NiSource gave its partners insight into the company's construction, technology and development plans, quality objectives, key policies and future business areas.

During the event, NiSource distributed six Supplier Awards to recognize their suppliers' contributions in key areas:

• NiSource Safety Supplier of the Year: Miller Pipeline – Headquartered in Indianapolis, IN and provides gas distribution and transmission pipeline services.
• NiSource Diverse Supplier of the Year: Traffic Management, Inc. – Headquartered in Long Beach, CA and provides traffic control and flagging services.
• NiSource Sustainability Supplier of the Year: AgileOne – Headquartered in Torrance, CA and is a global MSP provider overseeing the contingent labor acquisition process.
• NiSource Cybersecurity Supplier of the Year: Fortress Information Security – Headquartered in Orlando, FL and secures critical infrastructure from cybersecurity risks with asset and vendor risk management solutions.
• NiSource Innovative Supplier of the Year: Picarro - Headquartered in Santa Clara, CA and is the global leader in methane emissions measurement, emissions reduction, pipe replacement and advanced leak survey solutions.
• NiSource Supplier of the Year: Miller Pipeline - Headquartered in Indianapolis, IN and provides gas distribution and transmission pipeline services.

"Having an agile and trusted supply chain infrastructure is critical to NiSource's commitment to perform with excellence in the areas most important to our stakeholders," said Sandra Brummitt, vice president, chief procurement & corporate services officer of NiSource. "Our diverse suppliers are critical partners in strengthening engagement, enabling innovation and providing reliable and affordable energy to our communities. With NiSource's 2022 Supplier Awards, we recognize our suppliers who have demonstrated outstanding dedication, close partnership and a proactive commitment to perform with excellence."

NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI) is one of the largest fully-regulated utility companies in the United States, serving approximately 3.2 million natural gas customers and 500,000 electric customers across six states through its local Columbia Gas and NIPSCO brands. Based in Merrillville, Indiana, NiSource's approximately 7,500 employees are focused on safely delivering reliable and affordable energy to our customers and communities we serve. NiSource is a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability - North America Index. Additional information about NiSource, its investments in modern infrastructure and systems, its commitments and its local brands can be found at www.nisource.com. Follow us at www.facebook.com/nisource, www.linkedin.com/company/nisource or www.twitter.com/nisourceinc. The content of these websites is not incorporated by reference into this document or any other report or document NiSource files with the SEC. NI-F 

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). Investors and prospective investors should understand that many factors govern whether any forward-looking statement contained herein will be or can be realized. Any one of those factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning our plans, strategies, objectives, expected performance, expenditures, recovery of expenditures through rates, stated on either a consolidated or segment basis, and any and all underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical fact. Expressions of future goals and expectations and similar expressions, including "may," "will," "should," "could," "would," "aims," "seeks," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "intends," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "potential," "targets," "forecast," and "continue," reflecting something other than historical fact are intended to identify forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that management believes to be reasonable; however, there can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially.

Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the projections, forecasts, estimates and expectations discussed in this presentation include, among other things, our ability to execute our business plan or growth strategy, including utility infrastructure investments; potential incidents and other operating risks associated with our business; our ability to adapt to, and manage costs related to, advances in technology; impacts related to our aging infrastructure; our ability to obtain sufficient insurance coverage and whether such coverage will protect us against significant losses; the success of our electric generation strategy; construction risks and natural gas costs and supply risks; fluctuations in demand from residential and commercial customers; fluctuations in the price of energy commodities and related transportation costs or an inability to obtain an adequate, reliable and cost-effective fuel supply to meet customer demands; the attraction and retention of a qualified, diverse workforce and ability to maintain good labor relations; our ability to manage new initiatives and organizational changes; the actions of activist stockholders; the performance of third-party suppliers and service providers; potential cybersecurity attacks; increased requirements and costs related to cybersecurity; any damage to our reputation; any remaining liabilities or impact related to the sale of the Massachusetts Business; the impacts of natural disasters, potential terrorist attacks or other catastrophic events; the physical impacts of climate change and the transition to a lower carbon future; our ability to manage the financial and operational risks related to achieving our carbon emission reduction goals, including our net-zero goal; our debt obligations; any changes to our credit rating or the credit rating of certain of our subsidiaries; any adverse effects related to our equity units; adverse economic and capital market conditions or increases in interest rates; inflation; recessions; economic regulation and the impact of regulatory rate reviews; our ability to obtain expected financial or regulatory outcomes; continuing and potential future impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic; economic conditions in certain industries; the reliability of customers and suppliers to fulfill their payment and contractual obligations; the ability of our subsidiaries to generate cash; pension funding obligations; potential impairments of goodwill; changes in the method for determining LIBOR and the potential replacement of the LIBOR benchmark interest rate; the outcome of legal and regulatory proceedings, investigations, incidents, claims and litigation; potential remaining liabilities related to the Greater Lawrence Incident; compliance with the agreements entered into with the U.S. Attorney's Office to settle the U.S. Attorney's Office's investigation relating to the Greater Lawrence Incident; compliance with applicable laws, regulations and tariffs; compliance with environmental laws and the costs of associated liabilities; changes in taxation; other matters in the "Risk Factors" section of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, and in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2022, many of which risks are beyond our control. In addition, the relative contributions to profitability by each business segment, and the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements relating thereto, may change over time.

All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. We undertake no obligation to, and expressly disclaim any such obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or changes to the future results over time or otherwise, except as required by law.

SOURCE NiSource Inc.