McDonald's® Once Again Tops Fortune Magazine List of Best Companies for Minorities

McDonald's Corporation, for the second consecutive year, tops the FORTUNE magazine list of Best Companies for Minorities. The annual survey from FORTUNE evaluates the number of minority employees, hiring, promotion, and retention for more than 1,200 U.S. companies to compile the prestigious list.

Recognized as having the highest minority employee-retention rate on FORTUNE's 2004 list, the national business publication cited McDonald's for adding minorities to its board of directors, making a concerted effort to purchase from minority suppliers and having a workforce that is 53% minority.

"Being one of the best companies for minorities is part of the very fabric of how we do business now and how we will do business in the future," said Mike Roberts, CEO, McDonald's USA. "We are proud of our long-standing commitment to diversity at McDonald's. We believe the diversity of our workforce, at our restaurants and in our corporate offices, is a reflection of the communities we serve," said Roberts.

"Seeing McDonald's being named as the top company for minorities by Fortune Magazine is no surprise to those of us in the foodservice industry. McDonald's has always been a leader on diversity," said Gerry Fernandez, president, MultiCultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance. "McDonald's continues to set even higher standards for themselves and do more to promote diversity and inclusion across the entire hospitality industry," said Fernandez.

Fortune's recognition of McDonald's diversity efforts is one of the latest earned by the company. McDonald's has also been recognized by the following publications and organizations:

  --  "2004 Elite Hispanic Women" -- (Gloria Santona) Hispanic Business
      Magazine
  --  "2003 100 Most Influential Hispanics" -- (Ralph Alvarez - president,
      McDonald's USA) Hispanic Business Magazine
  --  "50 Best Companies for Minorities" -- Fortune, 2003
  --  "Social Responsibility Award" -- Mexican American Legal and
      Educational Fund (MALDEF), 2002
  --  "Top 50 Employers" -- Careers and the disAbled, 2002
  --  "Best of the Best" -- DiversityInc.com, 2002

McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) is the world's leading global food service retailer with more than 30,000 restaurants serving nearly 47 million people in more than 100 countries each day. Approximately 80 percent of McDonald's restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent, local businessmen and women.

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SOURCE: McDonald's Corporation

CONTACT: Mirna Aceituno, +1-630-623-6432, or Shannelle Armstrong,
+1-630-623-5508, both of McDonald's

Web site: http://www.mcdonalds.com/