16 Companies Recorded Nearly $1 Billion in Sales in 2007 NEW YORK, Oct. 9
NEW YORK, Oct. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Minority Supplier
Development Council, Inc.(R) (NMSDC(R)) today announced its 2008 Regional
Minority Supplier of the Year recipients. The 16 outstanding minority-owned
businesses were selected from a group of 75 nominees from across the country,
and represent a cross-section of industries ranging from architecture, beauty
products, cleaning/painting, construction, energy and fine art to food
services, general contracting, IT consulting and solutions, staffing and
transportation/logistics. NMSDC will present awards to each regional winner on
Wednesday, October 29, at the 2008 NMSDC Conference and Business Opportunity
Fair in Las Vegas, Nevada.
"These regional winners are among the nation's best suppliers, period,"
said NMSDC President Harriet R. Michel. "Their corporate clients are some of
the world's largest multinational companies, and expect first-rate quality,
top performance and efficiency from their suppliers. Our regional winners
consistently meet and exceed those client expectations and add immeasurable
value to those corporate partnerships."
The 16 regional winners are divided into four classes based on annual
sales, and are nominated by their corporate customers. NMSDC-certified Asian,
Black, Hispanic and Native American businesses are evaluated on the basis of
business growth, development and performance, community service and the
ability to overcome challenges brought on by the company owner's heritage or
background.
One regional winner from each of the four classes will be named a National
Winner at the Awards Banquet held during the NMSDC Conference. The Conference
theme is "Minority Businesses and Corporations: Playing to Win." More than
7,000 minority business owners and corporate purchasing executives are
expected to attend the four-day conference, which begins on Sunday, October
26, and continues through Wednesday, October 29, at the Las Vegas Convention
Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 2008 NMSDC Regional Suppliers of the Year are
listed below.
CLASS IV, SALES GREATER THAN $50 MILLION, THE WINNERS ARE:
The Bartech Group, Inc., Livonia, Michigan - Jon E. Barfield is the
chairman and president of The Bartech Group, a provider of engineering,
information technology, professional, technical and administrative staffing
services, as well as vendor management, outsourcing solutions and consulting
solutions to a variety of industries. In 2007, the company had $400 million in
revenue billed and managed. Projected revenue billed and managed for 2008 is
$1 billion. Blue Cross Blue Shield, Chrysler, Delphi, DTE Energy, Eaton, Ford
and General Motors are among the company's major customers. The Bartech Group,
a second-generation Black-owned company, and its employees are involved with a
number of organizations in the Detroit community including the American Heart
Association; Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation; The Children's Center;
Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan; Dress for Success; Henry Ford
Academy; Kettering University; Polio Eradication Program; Reading is
Fundamental; The Salvation Army; Share Products Program with local and
national retail chains; Spaulding for Children; United Negro College Fund; and
YES Foundation. www.bartechgroup.com
Raven Transport Company, Inc., Jacksonville, Florida - W. Randolph Lee is
the president of Raven Transport Company, an interstate truckload freight
carrier that specializes in the transport of consumer dry goods. The company,
which was established in 1985, recorded $75.8 million in sales in 2007, and
projects sales of $68.69 million in 2008. Raven Transport spent $1.78 million
with other minority firms in 2007. Major customers of Raven Transport include
Anheuser-Busch, Coca-Cola, Kraft Foods, Miller Brewing and Procter & Gamble.
In the community, Raven Transport supports Gleaners Dispatch, an organization
that provides food to the homeless; Eugene Butler Middle School; From One
Troop to Another, a program to send Girl Scout cookies to servicemen and women
in Iraq; Hubbard House; Jewish Family and Community Services; Raines High
School; Ronald McDonald House; and Second Harvest Food Bank.
www.raventrans.com
Thompson Hospitality Services, LLC, Herndon, Virginia - Warren M. Thompson
is the president and chairman of Thompson Hospitality Services, an 11-year-old
service firm that specializes in food service, restaurant and retail, and
facilities management. The company had $220 million in sales in 2007, and
projects sales of $247 million in 2008. The Black-owned firm spent $1.359
million with minority-owned businesses in 2007, and projects an MBE spend of
$1.6 million in 2008. Thompson Hospitality lists Chicago Public Schools,
Herman Miller, IBM, Merck and SunTrust as major customers. Mr. Thompson is
active in the community, providing scholarships to deserving students at
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and scholarships to urban
K-12 public schools in Chicago, Kansas City and Newark. The company also
provides meal scholarships to children of Thompson Hospitality employees that
attend the schools where the firm is contracted to provide food services. Mr.
Thompson has also made notable scholarship endowments to the University of
Virginia, where his father was denied admission based on race. Mr. Thompson
has received several awards and honors for his business achievements. Earlier
this year, he was named a finalist for the inaugural Washington Business
Journal Minority Business Leader award. www.thompsonhospitality.com
Torix General Contractors, LLC, Colorado Springs, Colorado - Ken Harris is
the chief executive officer of Torix General Contractors, a Native American-
owned construction company that offers general contracting services for civil
projects and renovations, as well as construction management services. The
firm, which was established in 1987, had $85 million in sales in 2007 and
projects sales of $110 million in 2008. Torix spent $17 million with minority
business enterprises in 2007, with plans to increase its MBE spend to $27.5
million in 2008. Colorado Springs School District No. 11, ORIT Software
Solutions, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Fort Carson, Colorado, and
Omaha, Nebraska - are among the company's major customers. Torix executives
and its employees are very active in the Colorado Springs community, serving
on a number of boards and advisory councils. Additionally, members of the
company contribute their time and resources in support of the American Red
Cross, Care & Share, the Children's Literacy Center, Colorado College, the
Hispanic Scholarship Foundation, Homeward Pike's Peak, TESSA and the United
Way. www.tepa.com
CLASS III, SALES BETWEEN $10 MILLION AND $50 MILLION, THE WINNERS ARE:
Apex Computer Systems, Inc., Cerritos, California - Philip Chen is the
president of Apex Computer Systems, Inc., an Asian-Pacific American-owned firm
that provides information technology lifecycle, support services, application
development and managed services for corporate, mid-market and small business
clients. Apex had over $15 million in sales in 2007, and projects more than
$25 million in sales for 2008. The company spent nearly $3 million with other
minority business enterprises in 2007, with a projection of $4 million for
2008. Apex lists AT&T, American Honda Motor Company, Charles Schwab (U.S.
Trust), Gap, IBM and U.S. Bank among its major customers. Mr. Chen is one of a
group of Asian American corporate executives and educators in southern
California who founded the Asian American Professional Association, an
organization that helps mentor Asian American professionals in technical
disciplines who want to pursue career opportunities in management. The
mentoring program has had more than 400 participants in the past nine years.
Apex also created a proactive initiative called the Diversity Supplier
Mentoring Program to address the diverse supplier capacity gap that has
resulted when some corporations shift to strategic sourcing, which may limit
opportunities for smaller minority businesses. www.acsi2000.com
Carol's Daughter, Brooklyn, New York - Lisa Price is the founder and
managing partner of Carol's Daughter, an African American-owned manufacturer,
retailer and wholesaler of fragrances for the home as well as beauty and
grooming products for women and men. The company, which was established in
1993, had $15.5 million in sales in 2007. Projected sales for 2008 are $27
million. Dillard's, Macy's and Sephora are major customers of Carol's
Daughter. The firm also supports other minority businesses, spending $900,000
with MBEs in 2007. The projected spend with MBEs in 2008 is $1.2 million.
Carol's Daughter has been active in the New York City community, supporting
the Lupus Foundation of America; conducting toy drives during the Christmas
holidays for children in local shelters; participating in PENCIL's Principal
for a Day program in the New York City public schools; and providing window
design opportunities and contributions to the art department at Pratt
University. www.carolsdaughter.com
MENTOR Technical Group, Caguas, Puerto Rico - Luis D. Soto is the
president of MENTOR Technical Group, a Hispanic-owned firm that provides a
wide array of technical support and solutions to various markets, including
pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, utilities, process and waste
water plants, food and beverage, hospitality and government. Regulatory
compliance, commissioning, validation, laboratory quality operations,
regulatory laboratory solutions and equipment support, pharmaceutical
manufacturing process and packaging solutions are among the services the
eight-year-old company provides. MENTOR Technical Group also offers
architecture and engineering services, including calibration, instrumentation
and control systems; project/construction management; safety and environmental
project coordinators; building management solutions; and utilities
management/operations outsourcing. In 2007, the company had $18 million in
sales. Projected sales for 2008 are $20 million. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company,
Janssen-Ortho LLC, Johnson & Johnson, Lilly del Caribe, McNeil Consumer and
Pfizer Global Manufacturing are among MENTOR's major customers. MENTOR is
active in the community through its support of the American Cancer Society,
Down Syndrome Association, Guayama Rotary Club, Muscular Dystrophy Association
and the United Way. www.mentortg.com
Moody-Nolan, Inc., Columbus, Ohio - Curtis J. Moody is the president and
chief executive officer of Moody-Nolan, one of the nation's largest African
American architecture firms. Established in 1982, the firm provides
architecture, civil engineering and interior design services to major
customers including the Franklin County Board of Mental
Retardation/Developmental Disabilities, Ohio State University, Oklahoma State
University and West Virginia University. In 2007, Mr. Moody received the Ohio
Gold Medal Award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The previous
year, the firm was honored by the AIA Ohio with its Gold Medal Firm of the
Year award. Moody-Nolan had sales of $25 million in 2007, and projects sales
of $28 million in 2008. In the community, the firm and its employees
participate in and actively support the AIA and the National Organization of
Minority Architects, the Columbus Architectural Gala Committee, Emerging
Professionals and YAF Committees of the Columbus chapter of AIA. Several
Moody-Nolan employees have served as adjunct professors at Ohio State
University's Knowlton School of Architecture and Columbus State Community
College. Firm members regularly participate in student juries and other
volunteer activities. Additionally, Moody-Nolan established a scholarship for
minority students at Ohio State University, where many of Moody-Nolan's staff
are alumni, and regularly supports the University of Cincinnati, Kent State
and the University of Miami of Ohio with student internships and employment
opportunities. www.moodynolan.com
CLASS II, SALES BETWEEN $1 MILLION AND $10 MILLION, THE WINNERS ARE:
B. Bell Builders LP, Sugar Land, Texas - Arun Kothari is the president of
B. Bell Builders, LP, an Asian-Indian owned general contractor firm that
offers construction services, project management and design-build. The company
was established in 1955 and has been under its current leadership for the past
27 years. Gross sales for 2007 were $4.15 million. Projected sales for 2008
are $5.9 million. B. Bell Builders provided construction services to major
customers AT& T, BBS Technologies, The Beck Group, Shell Oil USA and Texas
Medical Center, and construction management services to Maximus Coffee Group.
Like the majority of general contractors, B. Bell Builders works with
subcontractors - many of them minority-owned businesses. In 2007, the company
spent $1.4 million with minority subcontractors, and expects to nearly double
that spend in 2008. Mr. Kothari also mentors other minority businesses on
sustainable growth, commercial construction, financial planning, insurance,
bonding, estimating, project management and accounting. Mr. Kothari and B.
Bell Builders have assisted on several projects in the community, including
the ISKCON Temple, Gauranga Community Hall and the Mahatma Gandhi statue at
Hermann Park. Mr. Kothari also supports the Indian Association of Professional
Engineers and is a member of the Jesse H. Jones at TSU Business Communication
Advisory Board. www.bbellbuilders.com
KLN Logistics Corporation (dba AIT Worldwide Logistics), Middleburg
Heights, Ohio - Kimberly Martinez-Giering is president and chief executive
officer of KLN Logistics Corporation, a three-year-old Hispanic-owned full-
service transportation and logistics provider/consultant meeting client needs
domestically and internationally. In 2007, the company had $2.25 million in
sales. For 2008, sales are projected to be $3.73 million. Corporate clients of
KLN Logistics include Applied Industrial, BDI, Eaton, JetBlue, Lear, Otis
Elevator, Rockwell Automation and Ryder Logistics. In the community, KLN
supports Breast Cancer Awareness; the Eddie Johnson Memorial Fund, which is
affiliated with University Hospitals/Rainbow Babies & Children; Cuyahoga
County Adopt-a-Family; Berea Children's Home, the Akron General Hospital
Children's Burn Unit and the Akron Lawmen's Softball Association. The company
also participates with the Cleveland Freight Association to provide
scholarships for education endeavors related to the transportation and
logistics industry. www.aitworldwide.com
Syntellus Dataworks, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia - Curtis V. Crowder is the
president and chief executive officer of Syntellus Dataworks, a Black-owned
information technology systems integrator and value-added reseller that offers
consulting, architecture, procurement and implementation of mid-range and
enterprise-class computing infrastructure. Established in 2003, the company
had over $6 million in sales in 2007, and projects sales of $12 million in
2008. In 2007, Syntellus was ranked No. 5 in North America on the Deloitte
Technology Fast 20 "Rising Star" list. The firm lists Equifax, Lockheed,
Macy's, Mercedes-Benz and SunTrust Banks among its major customers. In the
community, Syntellus makes annual contributions to the Boys and Girls Club of
Atlanta, Girl's Inc., Habitat for Humanity, The United Negro College Fund and
the United Way as a member of the Cole Society and the African American
Partnership. Mr. Crowder is also active with the North Metro Atlanta chapter
of 100 Black Men of America and the Men of Tomorrow Mentoring Program.
www.syntellus.com
WebRunners, Inc. dba W3R Consulting, Southfield, Michigan - Eric Hardy is
president and chief executive officer of W3R Consulting, a Black-owned IT
consulting and staffing company that offers strategic planning consultation
services, information technology consultation services, feasibility studies,
screening of project ideas, financial evaluation of projects and project
management. The company reported $7 million in sales in 2007 and projects
sales of $10 million for 2008. Blue Cross Blue Shield, Comerica, Evigna,
Hewlett-Packard and Polk are among its major customers. W3R Consulting
supports other minority business enterprises (MBEs) through its Alliance
Partner Program, which creates opportunities for MBEs to increase revenue and
headcount within a broad range of W3R clients. In the community, W3R team
members are active with Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Chaldean American's Reaching
and Encouraging, Chaldean Chamber, Gospel Against AIDS, Henry Ford Health
System, Life Directions and Nardin Park Recovery Center. www.w3r.com
CLASS I, SALES LESS THAN $1 MILLION, THE WINNERS ARE:
All American Pressure Cleaning & Painting, Inc., Pembroke Pines, Florida -
Vincent Boreland is president of All American Pressure Cleaning & Painting,
Inc., a Black-owned company that specializes in pressure cleaning, building
maintenance and preventive care, painting, sandblasting, waterproofing and
rust removal. The nine-year old company had sales of $415,000 in 2007, and
projects sales of $630,000 in 2008. All American Pressure Cleaning & Painting
lists Broward Community College, Miami-Dade College, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue,
Miami International Airport, School Board of Broward County and Wal-Mart
Stores among its major clients. All American spent 16 percent of their sales
with other minority business enterprises (MBEs) through the purchase of office
equipment and supplies, professional accounting services and liability and
workers' compensation insurance. In the community, All American participates
in the On-the-Job Training program sponsored by the Job Corps of Miami, hires
low-income residents of the communities where their projects are located, and
provides volunteer services and financial contributions to Camillus House and
the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Anahau Energy, LLC, El Segundo, California - Suyen Pell is the president
of Anahau Energy, LLC, an Asian-Pacific American owned company that offers
natural gas supply services to utilities, producers and other large wholesale
energy clients. The company was founded in 2006, and recorded $124,480 in
sales during its first year. In 2007, Anahau Energy experienced an 89 percent
growth in business and had sales of $285,000. Sales for 2008 are projected to
exceed $330,000. Anahau Energy's major customers include Pacific Gas and
Electric, San Diego Gas and Electric, Southern California Gas Company,
Southwest Gas Corporation and Total Gas & Power North America. Ms. Pell, who
supports other minority business enterprises through outsourcing and
mentoring, is a member of the board of directors of the National Minority
Energy Council, where she promotes the development and utilization of
minority- and women-owned businesses in energy-related industries in the U.S.
and abroad. In the community, she is a docent of Young at Art, an art
enrichment program for children in public elementary schools.
www.anahauenergy.com
Configuration Chicago, Inc., Chicago, Illinois - Arron Fullbright is the
president and chief executive officer of Configuration Chicago, Inc., a
full-service facilities management company that offers floor covering and
furniture wholesale, as well as installation and consulting services for
business offices and general enhancement and development. The company was
established in 2003 and had sales of $250,000 in 2007. Projected sales for
2008 are $500,000. Exelon and Nicor Gas are among Configuration Chicago's
major customers. Mr. Fullbright is active in the community, working with
African-American students to develop their entrepreneurial aspirations.
Picture That, LLC, Stamford, Connecticut - Valerie Cooper is the president
and chief executive officer of Picture That, LLC, a fine art consulting firm
focused on enhancing environments with high quality, cost effective, cultural
fine art solutions. Established in 2001, the company provides a range of
services to its corporate, non-profit and private individual clients,
including art advisory, curatorial services and graphic art and design.
Picture That had sales of $247,000 in 2007, and projects sales of $400,000 in
2008. Cartus, General Electric, Genworth, IBM, Northeast Utilities and
Thompson Hospitality are among the company's major customers. In the
community, Ms. Cooper calls on her 15 years of experience leading corporate
technology teams to donate her technology expertise to community
organizations. One such project involved creating a Web site for CTE, Inc., a
non-profit community agency that helps individuals become self-sufficient.
Picture That also offers a paid student internship program with the community
organization A Better Chance and Norwalk Community College, and in 2004, the
firm established a Student Cultural Fine Art Program where children and
teenagers exhibit their work alongside professional artists during African
American, Asian, Hispanic Heritage and Women's History months.
www.picture-that.com
About NMSDC
Providing a direct link between corporate America and minority-owned
businesses is the primary objective of the National Minority Supplier
Development Council, one of the country's leading business membership
organizations. It was chartered in 1972 to provide increased procurement and
business opportunities for minority businesses of all sizes.
The NMSDC Network includes a national office in New York and 39 Regional
Councils across the country. There are 3,500 corporate members throughout the
network, including America's top publicly-owned, privately-owned and foreign-
owned companies as well as universities, hospitals and other buying
institutions. The Regional Councils certify and match more than 15,000
minority-owned businesses with member corporations that want to purchase their
goods and services.
For more information about NMSDC, call (212) 944-2430 or visit the Web
site at www.nmsdc.org.
SOURCE National Minority Supplier Development Council
