Native American Ashford International Expands Products and Services
Ashford International is a Native American, woman owned company that offers strategic sourcing solutions to state and federal agencies. Established in 2008, Ashford International initially only offered office products and medical equipment, but through joint ventures and teaming agreements, was able to add a multitude of products and services.
This was a solid base from which the Indianapolis MBDA Business Center helped expand Ashford's business ventures. The Center has been an invaluable source of consultation and strategic planning that has helped accelerate sales. It also helped the company obtain a contract worth $8 million that will ultimately retain a dozen jobs and produce another 400 new jobs.
"In this ever changing global economy, the sustainability of a business lies in its differentiation, which is based on understanding effectiveness. The MBDA's commitment to promote growth and competitiveness of minority businesses is greatly appreciated by both business owners and those of future generations," said Susan Schmidt, President and CEO.
| Minority Business Community At-A-GlanceA | ||||
| Business Owner | Number of Firms | Gross Receipts ($1000s) | Average Gross Receipts | Paid Employees |
| African American | 22,127 | $2,286,534 | $103,337 | 16,315 |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 2,207 | 236,256 | 107,048 | 1,294 |
| Asian American | 8,756 | 3,409,496 | 389,390 | 24,730 |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 177 | 41,540 | 234,689 | 837 |
| Hispanic American | 8,558 | 1,695,184 | 198,082 | 14,304 |
| All Minority | 40,706 | 7,921,197 | 194,595 | 58,273 |
| MBDA CLIENT ASSISTANCE BY SECTOR | ||||||
|  | Private Sector | Federal Government | State Government | Local Government | Not Disclosed | Total |
| Dollar Value of Contracts | $19,230,674 | – | $20,532,570 | – | $4,448 | $39,767,692 |
| Dollar Value of Capital | 75,000 | – | – | – | – | $75,000 |
| Number of Contracts | 25 | – | 5 | – | 1 | 31 |
| Number of Capital Transactions | 1 | – | – | – | – | 1 |
| TOTAL TRANSACTIONS | 26 | – | 5 | – | 1 | 32 |
| MBDA CLIENT ASSISTANCE BY INDUSTRY | ||
| Number of Transactions | Value of Transactions | |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting | 2 | $180,000 |
| Construction | 2 | 22,482,087 |
| Manufacturing | 2 | 5,674,768 |
| Services | 20 | 3,139,000 |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Public Utilities | 1 | 75,000 |
| Wholesale Trade | 5 | 8,291,837 |
» Download FY2012 Report for Indiana
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