NMSDC Sees Growth in 2010, Optimistic About State of Minority Business in 2011

NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. ^®, one of the nation's leading corporate membership organizations, continued to attract new members and strengthen its network in 2010, and anticipates more growth in 2011. The year's highlights include the addition of 23 new national corporate members; the launch of the South African Supplier Diversity Council, an organization modeled after NMSDC; and the certification and recertification of more than 16,000 Asian, Black, Hispanic and Native American businesses in the U.S.

"I'm proud to lead an organization as dynamic as the NMSDC," said new president Joset B. Wright. "I have been impressed by the resilience our certified MBEs have shown during these challenging times.  Our corporate members rely on Asian, Black, Hispanic and Native American businesses as valued supply-chain partners, making the NMSDC network even stronger."

Other news and areas of significant achievement for NMSDC in 2010 include:

New Leadership: NMSDC named Joset B. Wright as president of the organization, effective July 1. Ms. Wright is an attorney and former procurement executive with a broad range of professional experience in the corporate and non-profit sectors.  Ms. Wright succeeds Harriet R. Michel, who retired after 22 years as president of NMSDC.  

International: NMSDC marked the launch of the South African Supplier Diversity Council (SASDC) in 2010. The organization is modeled after NMSDC and promotes the inclusion of Black business owners in the country's economic mainstream.   NMSDC participated in a number of events in support of its International Program in 2010.  Ms. Wright served as the keynote speaker at the Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council (CAMSC) annual conference and business opportunity fair.  NMSDC also sponsored business missions abroad in 2010. A 26-person delegation traveled to China in late August for MSD China's second business opportunity fair.  Dell, IBM and United Technologies sponsored the seven-day trip to Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai.

NMSDC also hosted a nine-day business mission to Australia in November to coincide with the Australia Indigenous Minority Supplier Council's (AIMSC) first business opportunity fair. Cisco Systems, D.W. Morgan and Telamon sponsored the trip to Sydney, which had eight delegates.

Financing:  The Business Consortium Fund has long been a catalyst for the growth of NMSDC-certified businesses.  BCF provides many types of financing products including contract and purchase order financing, working capital loans, term loans, equipment financing, accounts receivable financing, equipment leasing, long-term mezzanine debt financing as well as business and financial consulting services.  In 2010, BCF facilitated $2.3 million in loans to six minority businesses.

Corporate Plus^®: Participants in the Corporate Plus^® program are minority businesses that have successful experience performing national contracts and demonstrated capacity to increase their national contracts.  The program gained seven new members in 2010, and ended the year with 92 National Corporate Plus^® members and 50 Corporate Plus^® Sponsors.  Corporate Plus^® members represent 41 classifications of business. For the seventh consecutive year, NMSDC held a Corporate Plus^® Forum during NMSDC's annual conference. This year's topic was "Capitalizing on the New Economy."

Centers of Excellence:  Centers of Excellence (COE) is designed to enhance successful business relationships between member corporations and MBEs by strengthening corporate minority supplier development processes.  It provides a structured environment for minority business development.  Four Regional Councils hosted COE modules in 2010. The New York and New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council module had seven corporate participants and eight MBEs. The COE module hosted by the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council included six corporations and 13 MBEs. The Tri-State Minority Supplier Development Council, which serves Kentucky and West Virginia, launched a module with six corporations and 15 MBEs. The South Central Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council re-upped and hosted another module with eight corporations. MBEs will be invited to participate in early 2011.

Learning Events: One of the hallmarks of NMSDC's services is providing training and learning opportunities through customized online courses, executive education, workshops and seminars. In 2010, hundreds of corporate minority supplier development professionals and minority business owners participated in customized learning events.  In early 2011, NMSDC will launch diagnostic tools for minority businesses to effectively plan for growth.

Conference and Business Opportunity Fair: NMSDC's benchmark forum on minority supplier development was held in Miami Beach, Florida, October 24-27. The annual event continues to attract leading executives in supplier development and supply chain management. In 2010, more than 6,300 persons attended the conference:  corporate, government and non-profit leaders as well as minority business owners.  The business opportunity fair—the largest national exposition for minority businesses to meet prospective corporate customers—featured 720 exhibit booths. The conference culminated with the presentation of awards to AT&T as the Corporation of the Year; Michael K. Robinson, director of supplier diversity at IBM as the Minority Supplier Development Leader of the Year; the Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council as Council of the Year; and All(n)1 Security Services, Cherokee Data Solutions, Pinnacle Technical Resources and Reggio's Pizza as National Suppliers of the Year.   Eleven MBEs were recognized as Regional Suppliers of the Year: Accolades, Inc.; AKRAYA Inc.; commVerge Marketing; David Mason & Associates, Inc.; Diversified Security Solutions; Hightowers Petroleum Company; ICE Safety Solutions; Primus Software Corporation; SAI Systems International; SBM Site Services, LLC and Tiger Controls, Inc.

Minority Business Leadership Awards Dinner-Dance: In May, Michael Duke, president and CEO of Wal-Mart Stores; Ralph G. Moore, president of Ralph G. Moore & Associates and Frederick Ruiz, chairman emeritus of Ruiz Food Products, were recognized for their long-term accomplishments in minority supplier development with NMSDC's Minority Business Leadership Awards.  More than 1,500 guests attended the event.

Looking Ahead: "Our corporate members continue to demonstrate their commitment to minority supplier development, spending more than $100 billion with our certified suppliers last year," said Ms. Wright. "They recognize the strength and value Asian, Black, Hispanic and Native American business owners bring to the supply chain, and that they can be an integral part of the nation's economic recovery and employment solutions."

In 2011, NMSDC will host its conference and business opportunity fair in Atlanta, Georgia; provide guidance to support the growth of its International Program, especially the newest organizations in Australia, China and South Africa; and continue to promote minority supplier development as a valuable business practice in corporate America.

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 37 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 16,000 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