SCMBDC Honors Minority Entrepreneurs

• On: 08/09/2008 10:50:09
• In: Current Newsletter
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LOS ANGELES, July 28, 2008 – Southern California Minority Business Development Council, the region’s leading minority business advocacy organization, honored outstanding minority entrepreneurs at its 24th Annual Supplier of the Year Awards luncheon on July 10 at the Omni Los Angeles Hotel.

The event celebrates the outstanding performance of minority business enterprises (MBEs) in their contracts with SCMBDC corporate members. This year, there were 43 award nominees employing nearly 8,000 people with gross annual sales of more than $6 billion, according to John W. Murray, Jr., president of the council.

Under the program, MBEs are judged on their demonstrated growth, development and ability to create jobs; utilization of other MBEs; business performance in their contracts, including providing quality products and services, cost savings and innovative solutions; overcoming major obstacles and adversities, and community involvement.

Only one winner is selected in each class category, based on annual sales of less than $1 million (Class I), between $1 million and $10 million (Class II), between $10 million and $50 million (Class III), and $50 million and greater (Class IV). To be considered for an award, a minority business must be nominated by an SCMBDC corporate member and certified as a minority business by the council.

This year’s winners were: Anahau Energy, LLC (Class I), which is based in El Segundo and offers energy solutions to natural gas producers, utilities, industrial users, and other large wholesale energy customers; Icon Blue, Inc. (Class II), a Los Angeles-based provider of custom marketing promotional solutions; Apex Computers Systems, Inc., which provides IT lifecycle, support services, application development, and managed services from its Cerritos headquarters, and Technology Integration Group of San Diego, a computer systems integrator and IT solutions consulting firm.

Class I and II winners received scholarships to USC’s Marshall School of Business ‘Fast Trac’ program. The Class III winner will be featured in a segment of “Making It,” the KTLA-TV program focusing on minority entrepreneurs. The Class IV winner received a scholarship to Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

Also nominated were: Act 1 Group; Ad Pro; AM Ortega Construction; APR Consulting; Aquent, LLC; Artcraft Bedding & Draperies; Ayala Boring; Beacon Management Consultant; Clarity Digital Imaging Supplies, Inc.; Coast Aerospace; Code PreCast; Coseree’s Kitchen; CrestPoint Solutions, Inc.; Diverse Staffing Solutions; DOD Construction; EnPointe Technologies; FCI Management Consultants; Industry Color Printing; IW Group, Inc.; Johnson-Peltier Electric; Kaleidoscope Consulting Group; Kenig Aerospace; Liberty Paper & Printing; Madruga Electric, Inc.; Mandaree Enterprise Corp.; Morrow Cable Construction; Muse Communications; One Source Distributors; Petros Energy Products, Inc.; Prava Construction Services; Project View, Inc.; ProTool Services, Inc.; RMI Inc.; SC Anderson, Inc.; Sherwood Florist; Software House International; The Baker Group, Inc.; US Metro Group, Inc., and V.R. & Associates.

American Honda Motor Co., Inc. served as title sponsor. Other sponsors included: (platinum) AEG; BP; Hilton Hotels Corp.; Southern California Edison; Southern California Gas Co.; Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., and Wells Fargo; (gold) WellPoint, Inc.; (silver) A.M. Ortega Construction; Act•1 Personnel Services; Apex Computer Systems, Inc.; APR Consulting, Inc.; AT&T, Inc.; Chevron Corp.; Countrywide Financial Corp.; FCI Management Consultants, Inc.; IW Group, Inc.; Kaiser Permanente; Los Angeles Department of Water & Power; Los Angeles World Airports; Macy’s West; Metropolitan Water District; Northrop Grumman Corp.; Software House International; Technology Integration Group; The Walt Disney Company, and U.S. Bank.

The following corporate members provided 2008 award nominations: AEG; American Honda; AT&T; Chevron; Countrywide; Hilton Hotels; Hyundai Motor America; Kaiser Permanente; Los Angeles Department of Water & Power; Nissan North America, Inc.; Northrop Grumman; Southern California Edison; Southern California Gas; The Walt Disney Company; US Bank; Wells Fargo Bank, and WellPoint.

The National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) introduced the Supplier of the Year program in 1981 as a way of measuring the success of circulating corporate dollars into the minority business community. As an affiliate of the national council, SCMBDC has participated in the program since 1985. Local winners go on to regional and national competition; regional and national winners will be recognized at NMSDC’s annual conference in the fall.

Southern California Minority Business Development Council, the region’s leading minority business advocacy organization, serves more than 1,000 minority business enterprises and 200 corporate members throughout 13 counties. Founded in 1975 and headquartered in Los Angeles with chapters in Orange County and the Central Valley, it is one of 39 regional councils in the National Minority Supplier Development Council.

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Contact:
Vicki Cho Estrada
(661) 255-8024
choestrada@earthlink.net

Virginia Gomez
(213) 689-6960, ext. 223
vgomez@scmbdc.org