WASHINGTON D.C. (September 20, 2011) – The U.S. Commerce Department’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) proudly announces the 2011 National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week award winners. Awardees will be honored at a gala on September 30 in Washington, D.C.
“The minority-owned firms selected are excellent examples of U.S. firms producing American-made products and services that are creating jobs for Americans,” said MBDA National Director David Hinson. “These businesses are helping America ‘win the future’ by boosting our economy and global competitiveness.”
These awards are designed to highlight the outstanding achievements of minority entrepreneurs and businesses based on their total revenues, jobs created and the economic impact they’ve had on their community. MBDA also recognizes individuals and organizations that have demonstrated leadership and commitment in advancing the minority business community.
The National Minority Business Award Winners include:
Minority Construction Firm of the Year – Metcon Construction, Pembroke, NC
Metcon, Inc. is a multi-discipline general contracting firm organized to assist clients in managing the construction process from concept through pre-construction and construction, to a successful project completion.
Minority Manufacturer of the Year – Superior Communications, Inc., Baldwin Park, CA
Superior Communication, Inc. started with a handful of employees in the cellular phone aftermarket accessory business, and has since grown to about 350 employees and annual revenues of $400 million. The company serves six out of the seven top U.S. wireless telephone carriers in their accessory needs.
Minority Retail Energy Firm of the Year – SilRay, Inc., Palo Alto, CA
SilRay, Inc. was established in 2007 and has become a leading independent solar retail energy provider. SilRay maintains branch operations in Cannes, France and Shanghai, China. It was selected by the U. S. Coast Guard in 2010 for the construction of its first solar power plant.
Minority Global Technology Firm of the Year – InfoPeople Corporation, New York, NY
InfoPeople Corporation has grown from a one-man operation in 1998 to a multi-national company serving Fortune 1000 companies in the United States and India. Over the past five years, InfoPeople has generated $1 billion in revenue and doubled its number of employees.
Minority Global Supplier Distributor of the Year – Redapt, Inc., Redmond, WA
Redapt, Inc. was founded in 1996 as a self-funded startup initially focused on selling quality refurbished UNIX and expanded to meet the needs of its customers. Redapt is now a VAR of Dell, IBM, Cisco, Sun Microsystems, F5 Networks and others.
The following champions are recognized for their commitment to creating an environment for minority business growth:
Advocate of the Year – Omar Duque, President & CEO, Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Omar Duque is the president and CEO of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the leading Hispanic business, networking, advocacy and development organization in Illinois. Duque has served as an advisor on major economic development projects in the Chicago area, including the redevelopment of Soldier Field and the expansion and redevelopment of Chicago’s Midway Airport
Media Award – Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine, Pat Lottier
Pat Lottier is publisher and CEO of the award-winning Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine, a monthly magazine that covers and reports on business-related stories affecting the African-American community in Atlanta’s metropolitan area. Since purchasing the publication in 1987, Lottier has enhanced its layout and design, extended the scope of the news coverage and has overseen a dramatic increase in subscription.
Distinguished Supplier Diversity Award – Delphi Automotive, Ruben Estrada
Ruben Estrada is the director of Indirect and M&E North America at Delphi Global Supply Management of Delphi Automotive. For more than 100 years, Delphi has set the highest standards, including a corporate policy to assist minorities in achieving economic equality through business placement with diverse suppliers. The annual spend with minority- and women-owned firms has exceeded $7.4 billion during the past decade.
Access to Capital Award – The Loan Fund, F. Leroy Pacheco
The Loan Fund, established in 1989, has lent more than $43 million and helped to create more than 6,000 jobs throughout New Mexico, while maintaining a 97.5 percent repayment rate. Under his leadership of F. Leroy Pacheco, the average loan size has increased from $14,000 to $70,000, and more than 93 percent of the $14 million that has been lent since his arrival has been to minority- and women-owned businesses.
About the Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week Conference:
Recognized as the nation’s premier event for minority entrepreneurs and business owners, the MED Week Conference attracts minority businesses of all sizes from all industry sectors across the country. The conference is co-hosted by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration.
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