Meritage Homes Announces Commitments to Advance Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Homebuilder plans to drive a culture of greater inclusion, create more career opportunities for the next generation of diverse leaders, and donate $200,000 in 2021 to impactful programs
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., March 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Meritage Homes Corporation (NYSE:MTH), the sixth-largest homebuilder in the U.S., today announced diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) commitments with the goal of attracting diverse talent, creating a more inclusive company culture and forming strategic partnerships.
“In order to uphold our core values, we must expand our commitment to DE&I,” said Phillippe Lord, President and CEO of Meritage Homes. “While we have always strived to foster an inclusive culture, we know we still have more work to do. The candidates we recruit, the partnerships we form and the presence of underrepresented groups in our leadership structure are just a few of the areas in which we plan to demonstrate our DE&I promise. We will hold ourselves and our partners accountable to moving the needle. My hope is that by being open about our progress we can continue to drive change both internally and as part of the entire homebuilding sector.”
Meritage is committed to expanding its DE&I program with the following efforts:
- Developing a DE&I strategic roadmap based on best practices from organizations at the forefront of DE&I initiatives as well as insights from Meritage employees. The company also assigned a full-time leader to implement the strategy and hold Meritage accountable.
- Creating the Environmental, Social and Sustainability (ES&S) committee to assign board-level responsibility for advising the company on all matters related to the company’s DE&I objectives and drive support from the top-down. The ES&S committee is chaired by director Deborah Ann Henretta with corporate sponsorship by the company’s chief financial officer, Hilla Sferruzza.
- Building upon Meritage’s 35-year legacy of charitable giving by committing to donate a minimum of $200,000 in 2021 to nonprofit organizations with strong DE&I missions. In 2020, Meritage contributed $100,000 each to INROADS and the United Negro College Fund to support underrepresented talent in higher education and throughout their careers.
- Enhancing recruiting programs in an effort to create more career opportunities and to attract diverse talent. Meritage is the first public homebuilder to use WayUp, the leading diversity and inclusion digital solution for college students and recent graduates to find internships and entry-level jobs. Meritage intends to tap into WayUp’s nationwide student base, more than 70 percent of whom are female or minorities. Meritage will also leverage its partnership with INROADS to enhance the recruitment of underrepresented groups.
Meritage is committed to the ongoing and intentional work to achieve inclusive excellence. The company is dedicated to learning, improving its practices and challenging its employees and leaders to close the gaps.
About Meritage Homes Corporation
Meritage Homes is the sixth-largest public homebuilder in the United States, based on homes closed in 2020. Meritage offers a variety of homes that are designed with a focus on first-time and first move-up buyers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
The Company has delivered over 135,000 homes in its 36-year history, and has a reputation for its distinctive style, quality construction, and award-winning customer experience. Meritage is the industry leader in energy-efficient homebuilding and a seven-year recipient of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year for Sustained Excellence Award since 2013 for innovation and industry leadership in energy efficient homebuilding.
For more information, visit www.meritagehomes.com.
Contact
Emily Tadano, VP Investor Relations
(480) 515-8979
media@meritagehomes.com
Released March 1, 2021