NMSDC Salutes Top Regional Minority Suppliers; 16 Companies Recorded Nearly $1 Billion in Sales in 2007

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. http://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. http://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. http://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. http://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. http://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. http://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. http://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. http://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. http://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. http://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. http://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. http://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. http://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. http://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 http://www.nmsdc.org/ .

CONTACT: Kim Brown, +1-212-944-2430 x116, kim.brown@nmsdc.org

Web site: http://www.nmsdcus.org/ http://www.bartechgroup.com/ http://www.raventrans.com/ http://www.thompsonhospitality.com/ http://www.carolsdaughter.com/ http://www.tepa.com/ http://www.acsi2000.com/ http://www.mentortg.com/ http://www.moodynolan.com/ http://www.bbellbuilders.com/ http://www.aitworldwide.com/ http://www.syntellus.com/ http://www.w3r.com/ http://www.anahauenergy.com/ http://www.picture-that.com/

SOURCE National Minority Supplier Development Council