What do a talking duck, brown sugar water and an army of bedecked-in-brown delivery drivers have in common?

Diversity. So says Black Enterprise, the business monthly magazine in its annual list of the 40 best U.S. companies for diversity.

Georgia's showing among the top 40 were Aflac, the Columbus-based supplemental insurance company, Coca-Cola Co. in Atlanta and Sandy Springs-based UPS.

Black Enterprise ranked firms on the diversity of corporate boards, senior management, employee base and the total dollar amount spent with supplier companies owned by blacks and ethic minorities.

Aflac received high marks for diversity among its senior management, which includes Audrey Tillman, executive vice president of corporate services; Teresa White, its chief administrative officer, and Janet Baker, its senior vice president of corporate learning.

The company also was cited for its diverse workforce of 4,400.

Coke and UPS were was similarly cited for a diverse senior management and their business procurement with minority suppliers. Coke also received a nod for its diverse workforce.

Among Coke's senior leadership is Alex Cummings, who is the company's chief administrative officer, and Jose Octavio Reyes, who heads the soft drink maker's Latin America Group.

UPS' senior vice president of legal, compliance and public affairs and general counsel is Teri Plummer McClure and Jim Winestock is the company's senior vice president of U.S. operations.