Marathon Petroleum Corporation is one of the largest petroleum refining and retail companies in the United States, with revenue exceeding $180 billion and operations that include 13 refineries, the MPLX pipeline and storage network, and roughly 7,000 Speedway and Marathon-branded fuel locations. Headquartered in Findlay, Ohio, the company runs procurement from a centralized supply chain function and has maintained a formal supplier diversity program for years.
The company's refineries and pipeline infrastructure generate large, recurring demand for construction, maintenance, engineering, and professional services. For a certified diverse business in those categories, MPC is a realistic target. The procurement team is reachable, the entry point is a published portal, and the certification requirements are specific.
Here is what you need to know before reaching out.
Marathon Petroleum's supplier diversity program
MPC's program sits inside its Supply Chain organization and is managed by a Supplier Diversity team that handles both strategy and direct outreach. The formal name used in MPC documents is the Supplier Diversity & Small Business Program. The stated objective is economic inclusion: bringing minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned, disability-owned, and LGBTQ-owned businesses into MPC's competitive bidding process rather than treating them as a separate track.
The program emphasizes embedding diverse suppliers into core procurement strategy, not routing them to one-off set-asides. That matters for how you pitch. You are going after standard contract opportunities and making the case that your firm competes on safety record, price, capacity, and delivery, with certification as supporting context, not the lead.
The team distributes its contact publicly: MPCSupplierDiversity@marathonpetroleum.com. Use this address for initial inquiries, questions about the program, and follow-up after registering.
MPC publishes a Supplier Diversity Policy document at mpcsupplierrelations.com. Read it before you write your first email. It tells you exactly how the team defines eligibility, what certification bodies they recognize, and what they expect from suppliers in their bidding process.
Certifications Marathon Petroleum recognizes
MPC requires certification from a nationally or regionally recognized third-party organization. The categories they accept are:
- MBE (Minority Business Enterprise) — NMSDC and its regional councils
- WBE (Women Business Enterprise) — WBENC and its regional partners
- SDVOSB / VOSB (Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned or Veteran-Owned Small Business) — VA verification or SBA certification
- DOBE (Disability-Owned Business Enterprise) — Disability:IN
- LGBTBE (LGBT Business Enterprise) — NGLCC
- SBE (Small Business Enterprise) — SBA size-standard designation
MPC is an NMSDC corporate member, and the NMSDC Midwest region covers Ohio and Indiana, where MPC's headquarters and several facilities are located. If you are pursuing MBE certification and haven't yet selected a regional council, the Ohio River Valley Minority Supplier Development Council (ORMSDC) or Detroit Minority Supplier Development Council (DMSDC) are the relevant affiliates given MPC's Midwest and Michigan footprint.
Federal certifications from the SBA (8(a), HUBZone, WOSB, SDVOSB) are also recognized. If you already hold one of those, it counts.
One important detail: MPC does not appear to recognize self-certification. The policy language specifies third-party verification. Get the certificate before you register, not after.
Where and how to register
Vendor registration and procurement at MPC runs through SAP Ariba. MPC began using Ariba for supplier management, sourcing events, and contract initiation in November 2015. The Ariba profile for Marathon Petroleum is searchable in the Ariba Network under company ID AN01013042436.
When a buyer wants to add you as a vendor, they invite you using your email address as the Ariba User ID. There is no cost to suppliers for the Supplier Management and Sourcing functions MPC uses. MPC does not use Ariba's invoicing or purchase order features, so you won't incur transaction fees through that channel.
To get started before you receive a buyer invitation, go to mpcsupplierrelations.com. This is MPC's official supplier portal. It hosts:
- The Supplier Diversity Policy
- Ariba Network vendor connection instructions
- The Supplier Code of Conduct (which you must agree to)
- The MPC Early Payment Program details
Before registering, download and read the Supplier Code of Conduct. MPC's safety and environmental standards are non-negotiable, and any supplier that operates at a refinery or pipeline site is subject to the same safety protocols as MPC employees. Coming in with a documented safety record, written safety program, and incident data is not optional. It is table stakes.
What product and service categories they source from diverse suppliers
MPC's refineries and pipeline infrastructure create demand in several categories where diverse suppliers consistently win work:
Construction and turnaround services. Refineries run scheduled turnarounds every three to five years that require hundreds of contractors simultaneously. Civil, mechanical, electrical, and scaffold trades are all active categories. Smaller diverse firms often enter as subcontractors to the larger prime on a turnaround, then build toward direct contracts over time.
Maintenance services. Ongoing maintenance at refinery sites covers instrumentation, piping, insulation, painting and coatings, and facility upkeep. These are typically regional contracts awarded to firms with a local presence near the refinery.
Professional and technical services. MPC buys engineering consulting, environmental compliance, IT services, HR and staffing, legal services, and financial advisory. These categories do not require physical proximity to a refinery, which opens the program to service firms across the Midwest and Gulf Coast.
Logistics and transportation. MPC moves product by pipeline, rail, and truck. Logistics and transportation service providers, including specialized haulers and terminal services firms, are active in the supplier diversity pipeline.
Facilities and corporate services. MPC's Findlay headquarters and regional offices source food service, facility management, printing, and office supplies through the same procurement process. Smaller contracts and shorter cycles make this a reasonable entry point for a newer diverse supplier.
If your NAICS codes fall in construction (Sector 23), support activities for mining (NAICS 213), or professional services (Sectors 54 and 73), you are in the right ballpark.
Industry events and how to get a meeting
MPC participates in NMSDC-affiliated events and industry supplier diversity conferences. The NMSDC Annual Conference and Business Exchange, held in November each year, is the main national event where MPC procurement and supplier diversity staff are present. The 2025 conference is scheduled for Miami, November 2 to 5. This is the most efficient way to get face time with procurement staff outside of a formal bid process.
At the regional level, MPC's Midwest footprint means staff are active in events hosted by the Ohio River Valley MSDC and the Indiana Regional Minority Supplier Development Council (IRMSDC). These councils run matchmaking events and buyer tables throughout the year where you can request a structured meeting.
MPC also participates in API (American Petroleum Institute) supplier diversity programming. API ran a supplier diversity advocacy conference in October 2023 alongside other major oil companies including BP, Chevron, and Shell. Tracking API events is worth doing if you are positioning specifically for energy sector work.
To request a meeting outside of a formal event:
- Get your certification in hand first.
- Register in Ariba or at least have reviewed the supplier portal at mpcsupplierrelations.com.
- Email MPCSupplierDiversity@marathonpetroleum.com with a two-paragraph introduction: what your firm does, what certifications you hold, and which service category is most relevant to MPC operations. Skip the company history. Lead with the capability and the safety record.
- Attach a capability statement. One page, no marketing copy. NAICS codes, past refinery or industrial clients if you have them, bonding capacity for construction, and the relevant certifications.
Realistic timeline and first steps
Getting your first MPC contract rarely happens in 90 days. The procurement cycle for refinery services is long. Turnaround planning starts 12 to 18 months before the scheduled outage. Annual maintenance contracts are awarded through formal sourcing events with competitive bids. The path looks like this:
Months 1 to 3. Get certified if you aren't already. Register in Ariba. Email the supplier diversity team. Attend one regional NMSDC event and introduce yourself.
Months 3 to 9. Follow up. Ask specifically which category manager or buyer handles the service category most relevant to your firm. Attend a buyer matchmaking session hosted by the regional MSDC. Request to be added to sourcing event notifications in Ariba so you are notified when RFPs in your category go out.
Months 9 to 18. Respond to at least one sourcing event, even if you are not the lowest price. Bid competitively, comply exactly with the technical submission requirements, and use the debrief if you don't win to find out what MPC is looking for. Subcontract to a prime on a turnaround project if a direct contract isn't available yet. Primes at refinery sites often have MPC supplier diversity spend commitments and are actively looking for certified subcontractors.
Year 2 and beyond. A direct contract or meaningful subcontract relationship. Renew your certification annually. Stay visible in NMSDC events. Consider whether MPC should be on a capability statement you send to their Tier-1 contractors.
The companies that win durable work at MPC have safety programs that can pass an audit, workforce that can scale for a turnaround, and enough operational history that a category manager isn't taking a risk on them. Build toward that profile, and the program is a real door.
Start here: Review MPC's supplier portal at mpcsupplierrelations.com and email MPCSupplierDiversity@marathonpetroleum.com with a short capability introduction. If you don't yet hold a diversity certification, use our certification quiz to find out which ones you qualify for.
