Dr. Fred McKinney's Blog

January 30, 2012

2012-01-22T22:24:00.003-05:00

The mission of the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council is to significantly increase business relationships between our corporate members and our certified MBEs. We believe that minority business development is a key component of reducing poverty, unemployment, increasing wealth, and integrating American society. You are receiving this email in order to keep you abreast of developments with the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council, Supplier Diversity Issues and Minority Business Development. If you like what you read please share internally and externally.

UTC's Sikorsky Aircraft to Host First GNEMSDC Quarterly Meeting

United Technologies Corporation's Sikorsky Aircraft will host the GNEMSDC First Quarterly Meeting on Thursday, February 9 from 1:00 to 4:00 PM. Sikorsky is located in Stratford, CT. Every time we have held a Quarterly Meeting at Sikorsky we have had a packed house of MBEs, corporate members and UTC procurement and supplier diversity professionals. We are limiting this event to 128 attendees. If you are interested in attending, please contact the office no later than this Wednesday, January 25. Sikorsky is a secure facility. Every attendee must bring identification. Foreign nationals are welcome, but need to bring a passport and contact the office. There is no photography allowed on the Sikorsky campus.

This is an excellent opportunity for all of our MBEs to get critical business information about a great company that has provided millions of dollars of opportunity with certified MBEs.

Don't miss it!

To register, call 203-288-9744. Call today!

It is Time to Submit Your Nominations!

As we close out the old and bring in the new, it is time for MBEs and corporate members to nominate outstanding MBEs, corporate buyers, supplier diversity advocates, and corporations for award recognitions that will be presented at the 2012 GNEMSDC Awards Gala on Thursday, April 26, 2012 at the Aqua Turf in Southington, CT.

Each year, at our Annual Awards Banquet, the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. (GNEMSDC) recognizes those certified minority suppliers (MBEs) who have distinguished themselves and their businesses by:

Successfully demonstrating growth in sales and employment while overcoming significant obstacles; Consistently providing high quality products and services at competitive prices and offering innovative approaches and cost saving ideas: Continuously growing MBE to MBE purchases; and Significantly contributing to the growth and development of society and their community.

All corporate members are invited to nominate MBEs in each of the following categories:

Class 1 MBEs - Annual Sales Less Than $1 million
Class 2 MBEs - Annual Sales between $1 million and less than $10 million
Class 3 MBEs - Annual Sales between $10 million and less than $50 million
Class 4 MBEs - Annual Sales greater than $50 million
Reciprocal MBE - MBEs with their primary office outside CT, MA, RI, NH, ME or VT and must be reciprocally certified with GNEMSDC

By the end of the first week of 2012 all corporate members will receive a form that should be completed by January 31, 2012 with the names of their nominees. Give the office a call if you have any questions about the appropriate category of your nominees. The important thing is to get your nominees in.

MBEs will also be making nominations for the following awards:

Advocate of the Year - This Award is presented to a supplier diversity manager/director who has done an outstanding job of assisting MBEs for the benefit of both their employer and the MBE
Buyer of the Year - This award is presented to a buyer from our corporate membership that has gone far and beyond the call of duty to assist MBEs with procurement opportunities and feedback
MBE Empowerment Award - This award is presented to an MBE who has worked to assist other MBEs
Corporation of the Year (National Member) - This award is presented to the corporate member who has demonstrated commitment and has delivered results in the area of minority business procurement and development
Corporation of the Year (Local Member) - This award is presented to the corporate member who has demonstrated commitment and has delivered results in the area of minority business procurement and development

We are requesting that the nominations by MBEs also be back by January 31, 2012. The staff is here to assist MBEs with any questions they have about the process or the categories.
It is appropriate for companies, corporate representatives and MBEs to ask their supporters to consider nominating them for these prestigious awards. Although you cannot nominate yourself, sometimes you have to toot your own horn with a gentle reminder to your friends who you have supported throughout the year. MBEs who believe they are deserving of Supplier of the Year recognition should complete the attached Nomination Form and share it with a corporate member who can complete the process.

New GNEMSDC Corporate Member - Robinson and Cole, LLP

On behalf of the GNEMSDC Board of Directors, I welcome the law firm ofRobinson and Cole, LLP as a new corporate member of the GNEMSDC. Robinson and Cole http://www.rc.com/ has 225 lawyers located throughout the Northeast and Florida with a main office in Hartford, CT. We look forward to working with Robinson and Cole.

Corporate Member Showcase - Raytheon

This week we feature Raytheon.
Raytheon: Aspiring to be the most admired defense and aerospace systems company through our world-class people and technology
Raytheon is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 89 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as a broad range of mission support services. View Presentation

MBE Showcase - Fortune Metal

This week we feature Fortune Metal. For more than 50 years, Fortune Metal has been the leading supplier of metal finishing equipment and supplies in the Northeast. The reasons are easy to see:
Superior Equipment

We are experts in abrasive blasting, mass finishing, and parts washing.
We carry a full line of spare parts, hoses and nozzles for most air and wheel blast machines.
We carry a full line of abrasives, tumbling media and compounds.
Our sales force is only a phone call or email away. Click here to learn more about your sales representative.
When you call us for administrative support, we respond. We answer the phone in person, and we find the answer to your question quickly. Whether you have an order inquiry, a damaged shipment or a billing question, our goal is to make working with us easy and hassle-free. View Presentation.

Events That MBEs Should Not Miss

There are several events coming up on our calendar that are designed specifically for MBEs to learn about corporate opportunities. We know how busy everyone's schedule is, but these are events often hosted by our corporate members with the expressed purpose of finding out more about you and your business with the ultimate aim, to make you a valuable supplier to their companies. Here are some events you should consider:

February 3 - MBEIC Kick off Lunch
February 8 - Public Service of New Hampshire, Meet and Greet - Special Guest Governor John Lynch
February 9 - Sikorsky Aircraft, United Technologies Corporation - GNEMSDC Quarterly Meeting
February 24 - National Grid MBE CEOs only for CEO Roundtable and Doing Business with National Grid
March 26 - PepsiCo - Doing Business with PepsiCo and their Prime Contractors
March 27 - Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA - 2nd Annual Capital Summit featuring MA Commonwealth Treasurer Steve Grossman. For more details see the updated calendar below for times locations and directions.

MBE Capital Summit 30 sec PSA.mov

NMSDC/GNEMSDC Activities and Information

Please take a close look at the events listed below. The links will take you to detailed information about the events. We will have more information for those events that do not currently have live links, but please mark your calendars and call the office.

Events and Activities:

GNEMSDC Upcoming Events
Next Street, Insight Series: MassDOT - An engaging 3-day workshop for M/W/SBEs to grow their horizontal construction business opportunities: Series One: March 1, 15, and 29 or
Series Two: March 7, 21, and 29 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM Transportation Building * 10 Park Plaza * Boston, MA 02116
The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development's 26th Annual Reservation Economic Summit (REC), February 27-March 1, 2012. More information visit www.ncaied.org

Information and Presentations:

Opportunities with Corporate Members

U.S. Department of the Treasury notice to Financial Institutions interested in providing Asset Management Service for the Small Business Lending Fund.
Submissions Due: 5:00 p.m. ET on February 2, 2012 to SBLFAM@treasury.gov
U.S. Postal Service Sources Sought Notice Network Optimization
O&G Industries, Inc., Invitation to Pre-qualify Project #901373, Due January 20, 2 pm
We are looking to identify a MBE developer that can handle a $40 million mixed use housing project for the Norwalk Housing Authority. Please view the attached RFQ for more details. If you know or can meet a project of this size, please call the office
The Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation, in collaboration with Quincy-Geneva CDC, Project RIGHT, and other key stakeholders, is working in a board effort to promote comprehensive community revitalization in the Grove Hall neighborhood of Boston. This effort will bring more than $70 million of investment in affordable housing, small business development, job creation, job training and youth arts programming to the area in the next 2-3 years. Quincy Corridor is located along a key east-west connector between Blue Hill Ave. and Columbia Road, almost 3/4 mile from the new Dour Corners rail station, and adjacent to the location of a proposed new station along the Fairmount commuter rail. More information visit, www.dbedc.org

MBEIC News

MBE Input Committee kick off Lunch, Feb 3, from 10 am -2 pm at The MATLET Group, Pawtucket RI.

Call Boston Office to RSVP: 617-578-8900 by January 27 so that we have an accurate count for lunch.

Boston MBDA Business Center News

Win More Government Business with GovWin IQ
As you know, The Boston MBDA Business Center is federally funded by the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), a department within the U.S. Department of Commerce. This direct link to the federal government has its privileges and the Boston Business Center has recently acquired GovWinIQ, a database program which provides government contract opportunities, key contacts, analysis, agency and vendor information necessary for companies to market and sell their products and services to federal and state & local governments.

This user-friendly, time saving program can help your company by:

Finding opportunities and government contacts with GovWin's market intelligence
Providing in-depth profiles on 79 federal agencies, all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and 67,000 local governments
Finding more than 1.7 million federal, state, and local government contacts, including program managers, contracting officials, and senior executives
For more information, please click on the video link:

We invite all Business Center Clients to make an appointment to conduct research on government opportunities for your company at our office. Please contact Joanne Wang at 617-986-6366 orjwang@bostonmbdacenter.com to schedule a time to come in!

If your company is not currently a client of the Business Center and you would like to learn more about how we can help grow your company, please contact Sarah James at 617-578-8900 orsjames@gnemsdc.org

And Finally...

While doing my weekly food shopping at Stop and Shop (a GNEMSDC corporate member), I noticed in the vegetable section of the store packages of spices from GNEMSDC certified MBE Wiley Mullins - Wiley's Beans and Peas Seasoning and his Sweet Potato & Yam Spice seasoning (Yes, I grocery shop.). I am going to use the Sweet Potato and Yam Spice seasoning for tonight's dinner. (Yes, I cook too!) Wouldn't it be nice for all the readers of this column to just visit a Stop and Shop or a Giant Food or a Wal-Mart and buy a couple of packets of Wiley's seasoning, then go to the Goya isle and buy some Frijoles Negros (black beans) and then head over to the Asian section and buy some Inarizushi No Moto (tofu sushi) from Korean Farm Inc. You see, MBE development works best when we buy what MBEs sell, and what MBEs sell have unique characteristics that have a place in our stomachs and more importantly, our wallets. This example is of MBE companies that are selling to consumers through large retail chains. But the lesson works in the Business to Business world as well. Every MBE should draw up a MBE Budget. In that budget there should be three columns; one on total expenditures, expenditures, one with expenditures with non-MBE firms and a third column for expenditures with MBE firms. The goal of the MBE is to move as much spending into the MBE column as possible. If you need help identifying MBEs to buy from, give us a call we would be happy to identify some excellent companies to choose from. Our mission is MBE development. This must start by having MBEs supporting each other. This is not just a nice thing to do. Business history is replete with examples of communities growing businesses to scale by the creation of a vibrant "internal" market where goods and services are exchanged within a community. Our world is far too integrated to return to a time when any community can be totally isolated. But this is not isolation, this is about business growth and capacity building. It can be argued that every certified MBE should have a strategy of buying and selling within the certified MBE market. Think of the leverage and growth opportunity that would provide. No time to think about it now, I have got to watch my sweet potatoes!

In your service,

Dr. Fred

January 17, 2012

2012-01-15T22:48:00.000-05:00

How to do Business with Northeast Utilities

Northeast Utilities is hosting a very important certified MBEs in the region on Friday, January 20 at their main office in Berlin, CT. NU procurement officials, and senior management will attend to meet one on one with MBEs is a range of areas. Certified MBEs interested in attending should call Jerilynn Clarke at 203-288-9744. Please do not miss this important event.

Who Buys What - NU Purchasing; The attached is the complete list of commodity and service buyers and what they regularly purchase for NU. The buyers and their commodities highlighted in yellow will not be available for one on ones on the 20th. All others will be available. The agenda is as follows:

Agenda:
8:30 am - Coffee &Danish
9:00 to 9:15 am - Welcome NU
9:15 to 10:15 am - How to conduct business with NU
10:15 to 10:30 am - Break
10: 30 to 11:00 am - Vendor Introductions
11:00 to Noon - One on Ones with NU Buyer

Annual Award Gala 2012

It is not too early to start thinking about and planning for the 2012 GNEMSDC Annual Awards Gala that will take place on

Thursday, April 26 at the Aqua Turf in Southington, CT. Corporate members can begin by thinking about the MBEs they worked with who went the extra mile to provide excellent services for them in 2011. These MBEs benefit from the public recognition of a job well done. MBEs can similarly think about the corporate buyers and supplier diversity managers who assisted them to win contracts and to learn more about them and their corporations.

MBEs and corporate members who are interested in assisting us make this year's event fantastic are also welcome to volunteer to serve on any of the sub-committees we have established. Just give Tatiana a call at the office, 888-874-7114. We welcome your participation.

It is Time to Submit Your Nominations!

Class 1 MBEs - Annual Sales Less Than $1 million
Class 2 MBEs - Annual Sales between $1 million and less than $10 million
Class 3 MBEs - Annual Sales between $10 million and less than $50 million
Class 4 MBEs - Annual Sales greater than $50 million
Reciprocal MBE - MBEs with their primary office outside CT, MA, RI, NH, ME or VT and must be reciprocally certified with GNEMSDC

Advocate of the Year - This Award is presented to a supplier diversity manager/director who has done an outstanding job of assisting MBEs for the benefit of both their employer and the MBE
Buyer of the Year - This award is presented to a buyer from our corporate membership that has gone far and beyond the call of duty to assist MBEs with procurement opportunities and feedback
MBE Empowerment Award - This award is presented to an MBE who has worked to assist other MBEs
Corporation of the Year (National Member) - This award is presented to the corporate member who has demonstrated commitment and has delivered results in the area of minority business procurement and development
Corporation of the Year (Local Member) - This award is presented to the corporate member who has demonstrated commitment and has delivered results in the area of minority business procurement and development

New GNEMSDC Corporate Member - Hinckley Allen and Snyder, LLP

On behalf of the board of directors GNEMSDC, I welcome our new corporate member Hinckley Allen and Snyder, LLP.

Hinckley, Allen & Snyder LLP is a multi-service law firm of more than 130 lawyers with offices located throughout New England. Our multidisciplinary approach to problem solving allows us to provide legal service to both individuals and businesses, including many of the region's publicly-held corporations and emerging businesses with both domestic and foreign operations, financial institutions, several of the nation's largest real estate developers and construction companies, major hospitals, state and local governments and agencies, and privately-owned businesses and partnerships.

When you choose Hinckley, Allen & Snyder LLP, you'll receive knowledgeable, personal attention from our lawyers and support staff, ensuring your legal needs are met in an efficient, effective manner.
We look forward to working with Hinckley Allen and Snyder, LLP.

Corporate Member Showcase - Aetna

This week we feature Aetna.
Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities and health care management services for Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. View Presentation

MBE Showcase - Skycom Courier

This week we feature Skycom Courier  a courier and logistics company from the Greater Boston area.

Skycom Courier is a locally-owned company with over 20 years experience in the express delivery business. Skycom is a full-service delivery company, providing time-sensitive services at cost-effective prices.
Same Day, Next Day DeliveryAs a leader in the transportation and courier business, Skycom offers same day bike, car, van and truck delivery throughout Greater Boston and New England, as well as same day and next day air service to any location in the U.S.  View Presentation.

Events That MBEs Should Not Miss

January 20 - Northeast Utilities - How to do Business with NU
February 3 - MBEIC Kick off Lunch
February 8 - Public Service of New Hampshire, Meet and Greet - Special Guest Governor John Lynch
February 9 - Sikorsky Aircraft, United Technologies Corporation - GNEMSDC Quarterly Meeting
February 24 - National Grid MBE CEOs only for CEO Roundtable and Doing Business with National Grid
March 26 - PepsiCo - Doing Business with PepsiCo and their Prime Contractors
March 27 - Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA - 2nd Annual Capital Summit featuring MA Commonwealth Treasurer Steve Grossman. For more details see the updated calendar below for times locations and directions.

MBE Capital Summit 30 sec PSA.mov

NMSDC/GNEMSDC Activities and Information

Events and Activities:

GNEMSDC Upcoming Events
Next Street, Insight Series: MassDOT - An engaging 3-day workshop for M/W/SBEs to grow their horizontal construction business opportunities: Series One: March 1, 15, and 29 or
Series Two: March 7, 21, and 29 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM Transportation Building * 10 Park Plaza * Boston, MA 02116
The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development's 26th Annual Reservation Economic Summit (REC), February 27-March 1, 2012. More information visit www.ncaied.org

Information and Presentations:

Connecticut Offers Small Business Jobs Credit

Connecticut businesses can be eligible for tax credits of $500 per month for each new full -time job created. If the new employee is receiving vocational rehabilitative services from the Bureau of
Rehabilitative Services, receiving unemployment benefits, or is a veteran employee who, at the time of hiring by the taxpayer, is a member of, was honorably discharged from or released under honorable conditions from active service in the armed forces, then the tax credit is increased to $900 per month.

These credits will be available for each new employee hired between January 1, 2012 and prior to January 1, 2014 for period of three years. The credit may be applied against the following taxes:

Insurance premium tax under chapter 207 of the general statutes
Corporate business tax under chapter 208 of the general statues
Utilities company tax under chapter 212 of the general statutes
Income tax under chapter 229 of the general statutes

For more information about eligibility contact the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development or call Lindylee Gold at 860-270.8073.

Opportunities with Corporate Members

U.S. Postal Service Sources Sought Notice Network Optimization
O&G Industries, Inc., Invitation to Pre-qualify Project #901373, Due January 20, 2 pm
We are looking to identify a MBE developer that can handle a $40 million mixed use housing project for the Norwalk Housing Authority. Please view the attached RFQ for more details. If you know or can meet a project of this size, please call the office
The Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation, in collaboration with Quincy-Geneva CDC, Project RIGHT, and other key stakeholders, is working in a board effort to promote comprehensive community revitalization in the Grove Hall neighborhood of Boston. This effort will bring more than $70 million of investment in affordable housing, small business development, job creation, job training and youth arts programming to the area in the next 2-3 years. Quincy Corridor is located along a key east-west connector between Blue Hill Ave. and Columbia Road, almost 3/4 mile from the new Dour Corners rail station, and adjacent to the location of a proposed new station along the Fairmount commuter rail. More information visit, www.dbedc.org
Greater Boston area corporate member is looking for Janitorial Service. Call GNEMSDC office for more information. (GNEMSDC certified MBE only)

MBEIC News

MBE Input Committee kick off Lunch, Feb 3, from 10 am -2 pm at The MATLET Group, Pawtucket RI.

Call Boston Office to RSVP: 617-578-8900 by January 27 so that we have an accurate count for lunch.

Boston MBDA Business Center Client Profiles - Brocorr, LLC

BROCORR, LLC is an emerging Service Disabled Veteran Owned (SDVO) Construction Company that was formed by three veterans in 2009 with the goal of providing our customers with unmatched performance and customer service in the construction arena. The ownership group of BROCORR, LLC has over 50 years of experience within the private, state and federal government sector and has reach capability beyond what is expected from a traditional emerging construction provider in terms of management and strategic partnerships with all various construction trades. Not only is BROCORR, LLC a SDVO, we are also certified by the State of Massachusetts as a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) in the construction trades.

BROCORR, LLC's capabilities and experience encompass primarily single and multi-family construction projects beginning from estimating costs through the entire close-out of the building project. However, we have also executed numerous private renovation projects ranging from small scale bathroom and kitchen renovations through gutting and re-framing homes for additions. We have also executed roofing, siding, window replacement, decking and many other efforts.

Bain Capital, Private Equity and Capitalism

The current debate within the Republican establishment on the virtues of capitalism is fascinating from the perspective of an economist. The American people, for the most part, have a basic understanding of the "free enterprise" system, but I think there is a significant gap in understanding the way the world really works. Even the public debate taking place has failed to distinguish between 17th and 18th century merchant capitalism from 18th and 19th century slave capitalism from 19th and 20th century industrial capitalism from today's information and financial capitalism. As a result, when some commentators or political figures are talking about capitalism they may have in the back of their minds the capitalism of a bygone era.
Economic theory and the history of economic thought can assist the quality of this debate on the virtues of capitalism that is sure to continue to be a major theme of 2012. The lighting rod that brought us here is candidate Romney's work at the private equity firm Bain Capital. (Bain Capital is actually a neighbor of ours in Boston.) Bain Capital like other private equity companies play an important role in the way markets work today. But let's start with some basic principles. The first economic principle that is relevant here is that individuals are insatiable. That is to say that no matter how much wealth or income a person has, they will want more. The second principle is that owners of companies are seeking to maximize their wealth. If we are talking about corporations with shareholders that might include managers, it means that management is tasked with maximizing shareholder value. That shareholder value comes in the form of cash flows generated by profits and increases in share prices that can be converted to cash once those shares are sold. Private equity comes into this by collecting wealth from investors and their own management team. This concentrated wealth is then focused on market opportunities that are characterized by firms/management that are not performing in a way that maximizes shareholder value. The opportunity private equity companies offer their investors is to buy underperforming assets, convert them through better management into higher performing assets and reap the rewards of greater wealth usually through an initial public offering of the recapitalized company.

The public relations problem private equity companies like Bain face is when this approach does not work, and sometimes even when it works best. In some cases, private equity comes in, reorganizes the company, often this translates into cutting employment, eliminating "non-core" divisions or exploring top line growth. Even when private equity is successful, it might mean that companies are downsized, re-engineered, right-sized, or otherwise transformed. There is a human cost to these actions. In the defense of this process, it is not clear that in the absence of the private equity intervention, that there would not have been an even worse outcome for the employees and original shareholders of the company. What is most troubling from a PR perspective is that regardless of whether the outcome is positive or not, the private equity company is likely to walk away with in the very least some very high fees. Economists have a concept called "moral hazard" which occurs when individuals, investors, or firms have incentives to do the wrong thing, or to not care about outcomes because there are no consequences. I believe the problem with private equity is the appearance of this type of moral hazard. Now they would argue that the consequences of making bad decisions come in the form of their inability to attract future capital. This is true, but they are still unlikely to lose money because of the management fees they charge on the front end.

There is one more economic theory relevant to this debate and that is the concept of "creative destruction". The late 19th century early 20th century German economist, Joseph Schumpeter argued that capitalism works because the old structures and industries are destroyed by new structures and industries. Think of how the automobile industry destroyed the horse and buggy industry, or the I-Pad destroyed the retail music store, or in the case of Bain Capital, Staples destroyed the corner stationary store. It is the pursuit of greater wealth while simultaneously providing benefits to consumers that motivate these changes. As in all cases of change, there are positives and negatives. As a believer that capitalism is the best method of allocating resources, these costs have to weighed against the benefits not only to the investors in private equity, but ultimately to consumers. The great 18th century economist Adam Smith argued in the Wealth of Nations that the consumer is king. The question being debated in America to day is whether this is still the case. It was Churchill who said, "Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." The same might be said for capitalism in its current form today.

And Finally...

This weekend I attended the play Mountaintop written by Katori Hall and staring Angela Bassett and Samuel L. Jackson. The setting for the play is Martin Luther King's hotel room at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis the night before he is assassinated. Mr. Jackson plays Rev. King and Angela Bassett plays a hotel maid. Beyond these basic facts about where he was and what was about to happen, Ms. Hall takes great artistic license to fill in the content of a fascinating last night. The play makes us confront our humanity and the challenges each of us confront. Rev. King is told by the maid/angel Bassett that it is time for him to go and that it is time for someone else has to pick up the baton of leadership and justice and to carry that baton for as far and as long as they can. The play reminds us that no matter how great a leader is, they do not determine when their time is up. The play also reinforces the belief that we share a humanity rooted in mutual fear which prohibits us from our higher nature of love. I am not critic, but I encourage you to see this play if you have the opportunity.

In your service,

Dr. Fred

January 9, 2012

2012-01-09T05:30:00.002-05:00

Annual Award Gala 2012

It is not too early to start thinking about and planning for the 2012 GNEMSDC Annual Awards Gala that will take place on

It is Time to Submit Your Nominations!

Class 1 MBEs - Annual Sales Less Than $1 million
Class 2 MBEs - Annual Sales between $1 million and less than $10 million
Class 3 MBEs - Annual Sales between $10 million and less than $50 million
Class 4 MBEs - Annual Sales greater than $50 million
Reciprocal MBE - MBEs with their primary office outside CT, MA, RI, NH, ME or VT and must be reciprocally certified with GNEMSDC

Advocate of the Year - This Award is presented to a supplier diversity manager/director who has done an outstanding job of assisting MBEs for the benefit of both their employer and the MBE
Buyer of the Year - This award is presented to a buyer from our corporate membership that has gone far and beyond the call of duty to assist MBEs with procurement opportunities and feedback
MBE Empowerment Award - This award is presented to an MBE who has worked to assist other MBEs
Corporation of the Year (National Member) - This award is presented to the corporate member who has demonstrated commitment and has delivered results in the area of minority business procurement and development
Corporation of the Year (Local Member) - This award is presented to the corporate member who has demonstrated commitment and has delivered results in the area of minority business procurement and development

How to do Business with Northeast Utilities

Corporate Member Showcase - Federal Reserve Bank of Boston

This week we feature Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

On December 23, 1913, the Federal Reserve Act became law, and within a year the 12 Federal Reserve Banks were open for business. The Boston Fed, along with the other 11 Federal Reserve Banks nationwide and the Board of Governors in Washington, D.C., make up our nation's central bank. The Boston Fed serves the First Federal Reserve District that includes the six New England states: Connecticut (excluding Fairfield County), Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston was organized in October 1914. It opened for business on November 16, 1914, in temporary quarters at the corner of Milk and Pearl Streets with a staff of three officers and 14 clerks. Permanent quarters were secured on January 1, 1915, at 53 State Street, formerly occupied by The First National Bank of Boston. View Presentation

MBE Showcase - Picture That, LLC

This week we feature Picture That, LLC.

Founded in 2002, Picture That, LLC is a fine art consulting firm based in Stamford, CT. Our commitment to enhance environments withcultural art has established an excellent reputation among our corporate clients, private individuals and the community at large.
Our Three Practice Areas Are:

Fine Art Advisory
Curatorial Services
Graphic Art & Design

View Presentation

MBEIC News

The MBEIC Education sub-committee is seeking additional members. For those looking for an opportunity to forge deeper relationships with fellow business owners, and corporations, and are willing and able to commit some of their time - this would be a great opportunity to help plan and shape events that will inform and educate the Council's MBE community.

If you're interested, Please send an email to Jill Davis at The MATLET Groupjdavis@thematletgroup.com before January 23, 2012.

NMSDC News

TAKE THE FINANCIAL PULSE OF YOUR COMPANY. REGISTER FOR THE BIZ-FIT CHALLENGE TODAY!

The National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) has partnered with NuLevel Strategic Solutions to offer a series of online assessment tools to help NMSDC-certified minority business owners evaluate the health and financial condition of their businesses.

The three-part Biz-Fit Challenge program is available to you FREE of charge through 8/1/2012. During this pilot phase, participation is on a first-come, first-served basis. Register for the Biz-Fit Challenge at www.nmsdconline.com/education.

Program Guidelines:
To take advantage of this program, participants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

Only the CEO/owner of the minority business is eligible to participate.
MBE participants must be currently certified by one of NMSDC's 37 affiliated Councils.
MBE participants must have a current profile in NMSDC's MBISYS ® database.
MBE participants must maintain current certification throughout the duration of the program (8/1/2012).
MBEs can take each challenge once and must complete each part before moving on to the next one.

The Biz-Fit Challenge includes the following three online assessment tools:

"Biz-Health Analyzer" - This tool allows MBEs to understand their business' health relative to liquidity, solvency and leverage-the three most common factors considered by capital providers. MBEs are able to assess how they are performing relative to their competitors.

"Breakeven Analyzer" - This tool helps business owners determine the company's current breakeven revenues and its five-year projected breakeven revenues. MBEs are able to determine their minimum revenue requirements on an annual, monthly, weekly and hourly basis and use breakeven revenue as a guide in their overall pricing strategy as well as their strategic planning process.

"Valuation Analyzer" - This tool is designed to give businesses a rough valuation of their company based on applied industry-based valuation multiples. The information provided includes an overview of various valuation methodologies; approaches to building business value; translating value into wealth; and interpreting business value and business value drivers.

Upon completing each part of the online Biz-Fit Challenge, participants generate a comprehensive report using data from their current 12-month ending financial statements and complete a short survey to gauge the overall effectiveness of the challenge.

For more information: Contact the NMSDC Office at (212) 944-2430, send an email to bizfitchallenge@nmsdc.org   or read "Biz-Fit Challenge FAQs."

Boston MBDA News

Connecting Business and Government in the AAPI Community

Blogged By: Jiyoung C. Park, GSA Associate Administrator

Recently, I participated in a small business roundtable with the Asian-American Pacific Islander community in Philadelphia. The event was co-hosted by the National Association of Asian American Professionals and the Mayor's Commission on Asian American Affairs, and we were joined by 40 small business owners for a lively discussion on how to do business with the Federal Government.
Part of our mission at the General Services Administration (GSA) is to make sure that small firms across the country have the opportunity to do business with the government, and we were able to pass on several strategies that small businesses can use to successfully compete in the Federal market.
First, FedBizOpps is an online tool to help businesses learn about upcoming opportunities with the government. Small businesses can use this tool to preview what the government is looking to buy in the near future. GSA also posts a Forecast of Contracting Opportunities, informing vendors of anticipated contracts offered by GSA for the current fiscal year.
Another strategy that small businesses can use to break in to the Federal market is sub-contracting, partnering and teaming. Many small businesses find that with no previous track record with Federal Government contracts, it is hard to get their foot in the door. By joining forces with a more experienced vendor, small businesses can increase their capacity and experience. GSA's Sub-Contracting Directory lists large business prime contractors who are required to establish plans and goals for subcontracting with small business firms.
Finally, GSA's Mentor-Protégé Program is designed to encourage and motivate GSA prime contractors to assist small businesses and enhance their capability of performing successfully on GSA contracts and subcontracts. The program is intended to foster the establishment of long-term relationships between small businesses and GSA prime contractors and increase the overall number of small businesses that receive GSA prime contract and subcontract awards. To date there are over 90 Mentor Protégé agreements in place.

NMSDC/GNEMSDC Activities and Information

Events and Activities:

Save The Dates - Upcoming Events 2012
The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development's 26th Annual Reservation Economic Summit (REC), February 27-March 1, 2012. More information visit www.ncaied.org

Information and Presentations:

Opportunities with Corporate Members

O&G Industries, Inc., Invitation to Pre-qualify Project #901373, Due January 20, 2 pm
We are looking to identify a MBE developer that can handle a $40 million mixed use housing project in Southern CT. If you know or can meet a project of this size, please call the office
The Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation, in collaboration with Quincy-Geneva CDC, Project RIGHT, and other key stakeholders, is working in a board effort to promote comprehensive community revitalization in the Grove Hall neighborhood of Boston. This effort will bring more than $70 million of investment in affordable housing, small business development, job creation, job training and youth arts programming to the area in the next 2-3 years. Quincy Corridor is located along a key east-west connector between Blue Hill Ave. and Columbia Road, almost 3/4 mile from the new Dour Corners rail station, and adjacent to the location of a proposed new station along the Fairmount commuter rail. More information visit, www.dbedc.org
Greater Boston area corporate member is looking for Janitorial Service. Call GNEMSDC office for more information. (GNEMSDC certified MBE only)
Employment opportunity in Hartford area non-profit organization, for the IT & Social Media. Call GNEMSDC office for more information
NAACP Boston branch invites bid for Audit Services, closing January 14, 2012

And Finally...

This past week I had the pleasure of meeting with representatives from two different organizations who spend their time investigating racial and ethnic disparities. And this week as a member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights I will be looking at racial and ethnic disparity in the area of racial profiling.   Where people live, how people make their income, and how people are treated by public officials are key factors in the quality of life for all people.

The Connecticut Fair Housing Coalition has put together a series of reports that chronicle the history and current impact of racial profiling in CT towns and cities. The report, "Connecticut Fair Housing Center's Opportunity Project" shows clear public examples of "Redlining" whereby mortgage lenders and real estate firms would not sell or rent property to blacks in numerous towns in Connecticut. In one map showing the racial composition of neighborhoods in the late 1930s where Redlining was the accepted practice you see that blacks in Hartford were concentrated in specific neighborhoods. When you look at that very same area today, the map is almost identical. Seventy years has not impacted racial housing patterns in Connecticut. The Connecticut Fair Housing Coalition sends out testers to verify the experiences of African Americans, Hispanics and Whites throughout the region. In their latest report, they demonstrate that African Americans are facing discrimination today. In 100 percent of cases where an African American couple was looking for a place to rent in Fairfield County they were denied while a white couple with the same income and jobs were accepted. So while no municipality would be stupid enough to make Redlining an official practice, it is clear that the legacy of housing opportunity for racial and ethnic minorities continues to be a problem today.

A representative from the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, a quasi state governmental organization, shared with me some numbers that were discussed by the State of Connecticut but ignored. The State of Connecticut has a "supplier diversity" program that encourages state agencies to spend 6.25 percent of all state contracts with women OR ethnic minority businesses. Obviously the key term here is OR. State goals can be reached without spending a dime with racial and ethnic MBEs. This legislative deficiency would be bad enough if were not for an even more substantial loophole called the "Municipal Exemption". The Municipal Exemption allows towns in CT that are receiving State funds to be exempt from even the 6.25 percent goal. So understand this clearly, in Hartford, New Haven, and Bridgeport the state's largest towns with significant majority minority populations, any firm, regardless of race, can bid on contracts to build roads, schools and other forms of infrastructure, while in Glastonbury, Guilford and Greenwich, all predominantly non-minority high income municipalities, "public" projects are immune from providing opportunities for MBEs. If the Governor and the Legislature do not see the fundamental unfairness and disparate impact these "rules" have on MBE development they are either blind, or I hate to suggest the alternative.    Over the last ten fiscal years, state funds totally over $5.7 billion in school and other projects were exempt from the state's already flawed supplier diversity program, If ethnic and racial minority firms had been able to secure just 3 percent of these "exempt" contracts, they would have received over $170 million in contracts. The question for the Governor and the Legislature is why isn't every state dollar on the table when it comes to MBE spending.

And finally, we are still dealing with the ugly issue of how free African Americans and Latinos travel the state without undue scrutiny from the police. This issue is something the CT Advisory Committee of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights decided to investigate this year. After we got started we were confronted with a perfect case in case anyone did not believe these practices still exist. The Treasurer of the State, the Honorable Denise Nappier, an African American woman, was stopped by Hartford Police while dropping off her hair dresser in a public housing project. Ms. Nappier was driving a state issued limousine with the Number 4 license plate. The two Hartford police officers not believing, or not caring who she was impounded the car in the parking lot and then forced Treasure Nappier to walk home. Treasurer Nappier experienced something that looks and feels very much like the problem individuals in our communities still suffer from with much less stature and notoriety than the Treasurer.

I hope this extended essay is not taken as an expression of outrage or anger. Ideally, we need to confront the reality of disparate impact in this state, and I would extend this to this region and nation. We still have unsettled issues when it comes to where people live, how people earn a living, and how people interact with the authorities. It is not good enough to pretend that these realities do not exist, or never existed. And furthermore, these practices have real implications to the overall economic health of all in our state and region. Enlightened self interest should be sufficient for the Governor and the Legislature to deal with these problems now. If they do not, the citizens will decide who will run this state at the next election, and their votes should not come cheaply the next time.

In your service,

Dr. Fred

January 3, 2012

2012-01-02T22:38:00.003-05:00

Annual Award Gala 2012

It is not too early to start thinking about and planning for the 2012 GNEMSDC Annual Awards Gala that will take place on Thursday, April 26 at the Aqua Turf in Southington, CT. Corporate members can begin by thinking about the MBEs they worked with who went the extra mile to provide excellent services for them in 2011. These MBEs benefit from the public recognition of a job well done. MBEs can similarly think about the corporate buyers and supplier diversity managers who assisted them to win contracts and to learn more about them and their corporations.

It is Time to Submit Your Nominations!

Class 1 MBEs - Annual Sales Less Than $1 million
Class 2 MBEs - Annual Sales between $1 million and less than $10 million
Class 3 MBEs - Annual Sales between $10 million and less than $50 million
Class 4 MBEs - Annual Sales greater than $50 million
Reciprocal MBE - MBEs with their primary office outside CT, MA, RI, NH, ME or VT and must be reciprocally certified with GNEMSDC

Advocate of the Year - This Award is presented to a supplier diversity manager/director who has done an outstanding job of assisting MBEs for the benefit of both their employer and the MBE
Buyer of the Year - This award is presented to a buyer from our corporate membership that has gone far and beyond the call of duty to assist MBEs with procurement opportunities and feedback
MBE Empowerment Award - This award is presented to an MBE who has worked to assist other MBEs
Corporation of the Year (National Member) - This award is presented to the corporate member who has demonstrated commitment and has delivered results in the area of minority business procurement and development
Corporation of the Year (Local Member) - This award is presented to the corporate member who has demonstrated commitment and has delivered results in the area of minority business procurement and development

Corporate Member Showcase - Ernst & Young

This week we feature Ernst & Young. The Ernst & Young difference: globalization, entrepreneurship, people Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 152,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential.

	Our global approach We are the most globally integrated professional services organization - in our mindset, actions and structure. See why this is important.
	Supporting entrepreneurs - and empowering innovation Our commitment to entrepreneurs, in both emerging and developed economies around the world, helps drive growth, empower innovation, and ensure that we're working with more of tomorrow's global leaders, today.
	Diversity, inclusiveness and our people culture Our people and clients tell us that our diverse workforce and culture brings out the right results in our people and our business. See how.

View Presentation

MBE Showcase - Gonzalez, Saggio and Harlan, LLP

This week we feature Gonzalez, Saggio and Harlan, LLP. Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan, a national minority-owned law firm, was established in 1989. The Firm has fifteen offices nationwide located in Atlanta, Georgia; Boca Raton, Florida; Boston, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; Cleveland, Ohio; Indianapolis, Indiana; Los Angeles, California; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Nashville, Tennessee; New York, New York; Phoenix, Arizona; Stamford, Connecticut; Washington D.C.; Wayne, New Jersey; West Des Moines, Iowa. As an MBE certified law firm, we practice with a commitment to diversity and to our community.

Our attorneys have extensive experience in a wide variety of areas and handle matters throughout the nation for mid-sized to Fortune 500 corporations. We have a proven track record of representing public and private corporations, governmental entities, and individuals with a keen insight and understanding into our clients' complex business environment. View Presentation

MBEIC News

NMSDC News

TAKE THE FINANCIAL PULSE OF YOUR COMPANY. REGISTER FOR THE BIZ-FIT CHALLENGE TODAY!

Only the CEO/owner of the minority business is eligible to participate.
MBE participants must be currently certified by one of NMSDC's 37 affiliated Councils.
MBE participants must have a current profile in NMSDC's MBISYS ® database.
MBE participants must maintain current certification throughout the duration of the program (8/1/2012).
MBEs can take each challenge once and must complete each part before moving on to the next one.

NMSDC/GNEMSDC Activities and Information

Events and Activities:

Save The Dates - Upcoming Events 2012

Information and Presentations:

Opportunities with Corporate Members

Greater Boston area corporate member is looking for Janitorial Service. Call GNEMSDC office for more information. (GNEMSDC certified MBE only)
Employment opportunity in Hartford area non-profit organization, for the IT & Social Media. Call GNEMSDC office for more information
NAACP Boston branch invites bid for Audit Services, closing January 14, 2012
The Boston Housing Authority (BHA) invites sealed bids for Lead Paint Abatement at various Federal Developments, BHA Job No. 0717-02, prepared by ATC Associates, 150 Zachary Road, Manchester, NH 03109
Connecticut Lottery Corporation Request for Proposals - Supplier Diversity Consulting Services

Let's Create Jobs for USA

A shared initiative amoung Starbucks, Opportunity Finance Network, and you Createjobsfor USA.org. Americans need jobs -- and we can help. Starbucks is teaming up with Opportunity Finance Network® (OFN) which is a group of community lending institutions set up to provide financing to community businesses that need our help. In donating to OFN, 100% of your donation will help create and sustain jobs in underserved communities. To launch this project, the Starbucks Foundation is donating the first $5,000,000. As a thank you for your donation, you'll get a wristband to wear proudly as a symbol of your support.
An over view of the CDFI Industry by Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
One of GNEMSDC certified MBE is also certified CDFI is The Community Bank in Bridgeport, CT.

Business News - Ghana GDP Growth at 13 Percent

An article in the Wall Street Journal (12/30/11) pointed out that the West African nation of Ghana is expanded at 13.5 percent in 2011. This rapid expansion exceeded every other country in the world except Qatar. The economic growth has led to an expanding middle class and opportunities for scores of Western companies to come in and try to capitalize on this rapid expansion. Companies, many of whom are corporate members of the NMSDC have operations in the country including IBM, Diageo, Marriott, Yum! Brands (KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell)Toyota and Hilton.

Here is the perfect opportunity for minority entrepreneurs here in this country to team with corporate members, certified MBEs with extensive ties to Ghana and local Ghanaian entrepreneurs. Many years ago I had the opportunity to sit down with the Asantehene in a private audience in his palace in Kumasi. It is great to learn of the growth and opportunities in this beautiful country. Entrepreneurs go to where the opportunities are. Perhaps it is time for some MBEs to take a well planned trip to where things are booming!

And Finally...

When I was a high school sprinter in Pasadena, California going to the starting line and hearing the starter say, "runners take your mark", was a source of great anxiety. I knew I was fast and perhaps faster than most of my competitors, or so I told myself, yet the unmistakable pressure to perform was palpable. I knew that in a short few seconds the race would be over and I either would have won or lost. I knew I was as prepared as I and my coach, Walter Opp, could have been. Mr. Opp was one of those coaches that left a lasting impression in my life with his fatherly support and advice not to be a "hot dog", his term for unnecessary displays of bravado intended to humiliate opponents. After all of the runners have settled into the blocks, the starter raises his voice and says, "set" and what seems like an eternity the starter's gun finally goes off, fracturing the temporary peace. And for the next ten seconds you think of nothing, you just run to the finish line. Now that the New Year has begun, the starter's gun has sounded and we are all off in a race to the end of 2012. Some of us will run hard, strong and fast and "win" and some of us will not. Some of us will finish the race with our heads held high and some of us will be disappointed at our performance. All of us will have to overcome the challenges and obstacles in our path. And before you realize it, this race is over. Run strong and true and fast, and as Coach Opp would tell me, you deserve to win.

In your service,

Dr. Fred

December 27, 2011

2011-12-26T21:22:00.000-05:00

Thank You Gloria Yopp for Ten Plus Years!

The end of 2011 also brings with it the end of the career of Gloria Yopp as the Certification Manager of the GNEMSDC and CMSDC before that.

Gloria is retiring at the end of this week after serving almost 11 years. Gloria was part of the team of Delores Holley that came over to the CMSDC after retiring from Northeast Utilities. The Council was from my perspective, a perfect second career for Mrs. Yopp. In addition to handling the certification process with excellence that was recognized by the entire NMSDC network, Ms. Yopp also had the nearly impossible job of managing my calendar. The last 11 years have been an absolute joy working with Gloria. On behalf of the GNEMSDC board of directors, the regional network of Certification Managers, and all of our certified MBEs, I say thank you and enjoy your retirement.

Annual Award Gala 2012

Save The Dates - Upcoming Events 2012

We are extremely pleased to share with you information about some of our upcoming events so that you can mark your 2012 Calendar TODAY. In 2012 we will have two brand new events on our calendar for both corporate members and MBEs. The first new event is Greater Boston Minority Enterprise Development Conference on June 7. The GNEMSDC, because of our Boston MBDA Business Center, is taking on the challenge of making this event one of the premier events that bring together public sector buyers, large federal and state non-minority contractors and certified MBEs. The second is actually a return to a New England tradition; the Greater Boston Supplier Diversity Golf Classic on Monday, June 11 at Ferncroft Country Club. Ferncroft is one of Boston's top private clubs and will surely be a hot ticket.

We encourage our corporate members and MBEs to become Annual Sponsors in 2012. These sponsorships help the Council, and they give you a price break over buying participation in the events a la carte. We are also filling out the calendar with some unique events at some of our corporate members' places of business. We have events in the planning process for Pitney Bowes, UTC, and PepsiCO, with more to follow. We are also in the process of selecting sites for GNEMSDC Quarterly meetings. This year we held Quarterly meetings at EMC, Citizens Bank, The Basketball Hall of Fame, and Raytheon. We know that in 2012, Liberty Mutual has signed up to host a Quarterly Meeting. If your company would like to host a Quarterly meeting or a "How to do Business With" meeting, we welcome your participation and support. Just call the office for details.

Here are dates and locations for some of the major events we want you to be aware of.

Tuesday, March 27 - 2nd Annual MBE Capital Conference - Hosted by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM (Date Subject to Change)
Thursday, April 26 - GNEMSDC Awards Gala and Annual Meeting at Aqua Turf Club, Southington, CT 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Wednesday, May 23 - NMSDC Awards Gala, NYC at the Hilton Towers Reception stars at 6:00 PM
Thursday, June 7 - Greater Boston Minority Business Enterprise Conference and Expo Location to be determined
Monday, June 11 - Greater Boston Supplier Diversity Golf Classic at Ferncroft County Club, Danvers, MA 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Friday, July 13 - Greater Connecticut Supplier Diversity Golf Classic at Lyman Orchards Golf Club, Middlefield, CT 8:00 AM to 2:30 PM
Wednesday through Friday, September 12 to 14, GNEMSDC Annual Business Opportunity Fair and Conference, MGM Grand at Foxwoods
Sunday October 28 to Wednesday, October 31 - NMSDC Conference and Business Opportunity Fair, Denver, CO

We hope to see you at as many of these events as possible!

NMSDC/GNEMSDC Activities and Information

Information and Presentations:

MBEIC News

Gary Stiffler Voted in as MBE Input Committee Chairman

The votes are in and it was unanimous, Gary Stiffler, President and CEO of the MATLET Group was voted in as the new MBE Input Committee Chairman. Mr. Stiffler replaces Carlton Oneal of Light Speed, LLC, who served 2 terms as MBE Input Committee. On behalf of the GNEMSDC board and the MBE community, I thank Mr. Oneal for his dedicated service to the mission of the GNEMSDC. Congratulations Mr. Stiffler we look forward to working you.

If you're interested, Please send an email to Jill Davis at The MATLET Group jdavis@thematletgroup.com before January 23, 2012.

Corporate Member Showcase - CT Lottery

This week we feature CT Lottery.

State Representative John A. "Tony" Miscikoski, of Torrington, known by many as "The Father of the Lottery," believed that a state lottery could provide substantial benefits to the residents of the state. Each year for nearly a decade, Miscikoski presented legislation to authorize lottery sales. Miscikoski's dream became a reality in 1971, and the Connecticut State Lottery came into being.

View Presentation

MBE Showcase -BRAVA Marketing Promotions

This week we feature BRAVA Marketing Promotions.

BRAVA Marketing Promotions combines a nearly unlimited selection of best price promotional products and exceptional customer service with Fortune 500 marketing and branding experience to achieve the best results for our clients.

Our low cost promotional products are selected with the objective of enhancing your company marketing program or advertising campaign. Our online product selection system and extensive imprinted promotional product selection ensure that our clients get the absolute best value in the promotional product industry. At BRAVA Marketing Promotions, we take a consultative approach to your promotional program. We pay attention to the details of proper product selection, imprint design and placement, and on-time product delivery to the location of your choice. View Presentation

NMSDC News

TAKE THE FINANCIAL PULSE OF YOUR COMPANY. REGISTER FOR THE BIZ-FIT CHALLENGE TODAY!

The three-part Biz-Fit Challenge program is available to you FREE of charge through 8/1/2012. During this pilot phase, participation is on a first-come, first-served basis. Register for the Biz-Fit Challenge at www.nmsdconline.com/education.

Program Guidelines:

To take advantage of this program, participants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

Only the CEO/owner of the minority business is eligible to participate.
MBE participants must be currently certified by one of NMSDC's 37 affiliated Councils.
MBE participants must have a current profile in NMSDC's MBISYS ® database.
MBE participants must maintain current certification throughout the duration of the program (8/1/2012).
MBEs can take each challenge once and must complete each part before moving on to the next one.

The Biz-Fit Challenge includes the following three online assessment tools:

"Biz-Health Analyzer" - This tool allows MBEs to understand their business' health relative to liquidity, solvency and leverage-the three most common factors considered by capital providers. MBEs are able to assess how they are performing relative to their competitors.

"Breakeven Analyzer" - This tool helps business owners determine the company's current breakeven revenues and its five-year projected breakeven revenues. MBEs are able to determine their minimum revenue requirements on an annual, monthly, weekly and hourly basis and use breakeven revenue as a guide in their overall pricing strategy as well as their strategic planning process.

"Valuation Analyzer" - This tool is designed to give businesses a rough valuation of their company based on applied industry-based valuation multiples. The information provided includes an overview of various valuation methodologies; approaches to building business value; translating value into wealth; and interpreting business value and business value drivers.

Upon completing each part of the online Biz-Fit Challenge, participants generate a comprehensive report using data from their current 12-month ending financial statements and complete a short survey to gauge the overall effectiveness of the challenge.

For more information: Contact the NMSDC Office at (212) 944-2430, send an email to bizfitchallenge@nmsdc.org or read "Biz-Fit Challenge FAQs."

Opportunities with Corporate Members

Greater Boston area corporate member is looking for Janitorial Service. Call GNEMSDC office for more information. (GNEMSDC certified MBE only)
Employment opportunity in Hartford area non-profit organization, for the IT & Social Media. Call GNEMSDC office for more information
NAACP Boston branch invites bid for Audit Services, closing January 14, 2012
The Boston Housing Authority (BHA) invites sealed bids for Lead Paint Abatement at various Federal Developments, BHA Job No. 0717-02, prepared by ATC Associates, 150 Zachary Road, Manchester, NH 03109
Connecticut Lottery Corporation Request for Proposals - Supplier Diversity Consulting Services
Employment Opportunity at MA State Treasurer's Office, for the Assistant Executive Director of Sales and Regional Operations for the Massachusetts State Lottery. For more information visit, www.masslottery.com
Tracks Unlimited, a NJ based railroad construction company, is looking for certified MBEs to assist them in a CT DOT Rail Project. If you are interested in the opportunities with this company contact, Ellen Brown, EEO Officer at Tracks Unlimited, 908-769-6840.

And Finally II & Essays on Minority Business Development

The Book is Now Available in Paperback!

Click here to Order Book Today!

Why you should buy?

Minority business owners who are looking for practical advice on better managing their enterprises will find a wealth of information in the book.

And anyone interested in the best practices in supplier diversity will find the book instructive and inspiring.

***All of the proceeds for the book will be donated to the GNEMSDC. So this is a great way to have your own personal record of this historic time and support the Council. And since all proceeds are going directly to the GNEMSDC your purchase is tax deductible. Our plan is to only sell the book on line. You can read it on all I-Pads, other tables, cell phones and computers. Your purchase supports the work of the Council. Thank you for your support.

View Book Table of Content

Boston MBDA Business Center News

Three Ways to Start Planning Better for Your Existing Business

Add "Boston MBDA Business Center" to your Google+ Circle.

US Commerce.Gov, Article - Boston MBDA Business Center Opens to Assist Minority Businesses

Boston MBDA GNEMSDC Business Center Grand Opening pictures by Tom Ficklin

And Finally...

As this year comes to a close, I think about the connections between dreaming, hoping, planning, executing, managing and success. Entrepreneurs are by their very nature dreamers. I say this as an entrepreneur. Even in my current role as the senior executive of a growing non-profit organization, I still dream of greater success for the organization and its stakeholders. Entrepreneurs that are successful, which you can translate as entrepreneurs who overcame setbacks, will recognize the common spirit that enlivens all of us to dream. It starts with a dream. When entrepreneurs close their eyes, or when they have quiet time to reflect about the future of their enterprises, they see where they currently are and where they want to be. The gap between what is and what is desired is only closed by hard intellectual and physical work. There really is no free lunch, or free anything for that matter. Everything must be worked for and worked for with a sense of mission and an attitude that the effort will be rewarded. So as we close out this year and prepare for the next one, take some time this week to dream, to hope, to plan and to see the success that awaits you and your enterprise.

In your service,

Dr. Fred

December 19, 2011

2011-12-19T07:23:00.002-05:00

Annual Award Gala 2012

It is not too early to start thinking about and planning for the 2012 GNEMSDC Annual Awards Gala that will take place on

Looking Back 2011 Events

2011 Events GNEMSDC hosted or had a role in during 2011.

Thank you for making these events possible!

Boston RAC	6-Jan
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Springfield Lunch	17-Jan
NMSDC Quarterly Meeting Las Vegas Multiday	24-Jan
RI RAC	28-Jan
Testimony to State of CT CHRO on MBE Opportunities	9-Feb
Stamford Municipal Opportunities for MBEs	28-Feb
Boston Scientific - Presenatation to BS Procurement Team on Supplier Diversity	2-Mar
Federal Reserve Bank - Access to Capital Summit at Boston Federal Reserve Bank	3-Mar
Testimony to State of CT General Assembly on Need for Change in State MBE Program	7-Mar
American Association of Blacks in Energy	10-Mar
MDC Reception and Meeting on Clean Water Opportunities for MBEs	16-Mar
Tyco International Supplier Diversity Program Princeton, NJ -Presentation on Supplier Diversity	21-Mar
BCBSMA Event Celebrating Success of MBEs and BCBSMA Program	24-Mar
Doing Business With NU	29-Mar
Next Street Capacity Building Workshop	30-Mar
NMSDC Quarterly - Multiday event	11-Apr
GNEMSDC Awards Gala	28-Apr
Destino Awards Hartford	5-May
GNEMSDC Quarterly Meeting Raytheon	11-May
ICIC Capital Access Meeting Boston	12-May
NMSDC Dinner NYC	18-May
HCC Reception in GNEMSDC Copley Office	24-May
RI RAC at Citizens Bank with Governor Chaffee	25-May
Boston Globe Latinos and 2010 Census Program	26-May
Doing Business with Pitney Bowes Event - Best Practices	13-Jun
ST Louis MSDC Annual Expo	16-Jun
Connecticut Hospital Association Mini Expo for MBEs	23-Jun
Next Street Supplier Diversity Roundtable	30-Jun
GNEMSDC Golf at Lyman Orchards	15-Jul
NMSDC Quarterly Meeting Boston Multiday Event	29-Jul
National Urban League Minority Business Day	30-Jul
Liberty Mutual Lunch for Boston RAC	3-Aug
Quarterly Meeting at EMC	11-Aug
Bryant University Supply Chain Conference	25-Aug
Staples Supplier Diversity Conference	7-Sep
Doing Business with Uconn and Uconn Health Center	14-Sep
MA Supplier Diversity Conference	19-Sep
US Commission on Civil Rights Hearing at State Capitol	20-Sep
Turner Construction National Community Affairs Conference	21-Sep
INE Supplier Diversity Conference at Fenway	22-Sep
MED Week Boston	23-Sep
MED Week Washington DC	27-Sep
GNEMSDC Trade Expo and Conference Multiday Event	3-Oct
UTC MBX	4-Oct
El Mundo Breakfast Boston	13-Oct
Meeting with Cox Communications Supply Chain Team	20-Oct
Connecticut Hospital Association Diversity Conference for Members	25-Oct
NMSDC Conference Multiday Event	30-Oct
RI RAC Organized Dinner and Meeting at Amica	10-Nov
White House Roundtable at Boston Foundation	15-Nov
Holiday Card Exchange Aetna	1-Dec
US Commission on Civil Rights Hearing at State Capitol	6-Dec
Holiday Card Exchange Citizens Bank	7-Dec
Reception at AI Engineers for Customers and Supporters	9-Dec
Presentation to MA State Treasurer's Diversity Council	13-Dec
Holiday Card Exchange Boston	13-Dec

See you all in 2012 events.

Save The Dates - Upcoming Events 2012

Here are dates and locations for some of the major events we want you to be aware of.

Tuesday, March 27 - 2nd Annual MBE Capital Conference - Hosted by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM (Date Subject to Change)
Thursday, April 26 - GNEMSDC Awards Gala and Annual Meeting at Aqua Turf Club, Southington, CT 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Wednesday, May 23 - NMSDC Awards Gala, NYC at the Hilton Towers Reception stars at 6:00 PM
Thursday, June 7 - Greater Boston Minority Business Enterprise Conference and Expo Location to be determined
Monday, June 11 - Greater Boston Supplier Diversity Golf Classic at Ferncroft County Club, Danvers, MA 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Friday, July 13 - Greater Connecticut Supplier Diversity Golf Classic at Lyman Orchards Golf Club, Middlefield, CT 8:00 AM to 2:30 PM
Wednesday through Friday, September 12 to 14, GNEMSDC Annual Business Opportunity Fair and Conference, MGM Grand at Foxwoods
Sunday October 28 to Wednesday, October 31 - NMSDC Conference and Business Opportunity Fair, Denver, CO

We hope to see you at as many of these events as possible!

NMSDC/GNEMSDC Activities and Information

Information and Presentations:

New Corporate Member - Copley Place

On behalf of the board of directors GNEMSDC, I welcome our new corporate member Copley Place - Simon Property.

Simon Property Group, Inc. is an S&P 500 company and the largest real estate company in the U.S. The Company currently owns or has an interest in 392 properties comprising 262 million square feet of gross leasable area in North America, Europe and Asia. Simon Property Group is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana and employs more than 5,000 people worldwide. The Company's common stock is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol SPG. For further information, visit the Simon Property Group.

We look forward to working with Copley Place.

Coprotate Member News - United Rental

On behalf of the board of directors GNEMSDC, I congratulate United Rentals on their RSC acquisition.

Read story posted on Router.

MBE News - NEW ENGLAND, HOME TO CHEETAH CUBS

Thousands of CHEETAHS have arrived in Connecticut. To our very own certified MBE, Paulette Trowers-Lawrence, who gave life to a vision and dream, these CHEETAHS are real. To those who are kids, at heart, these are plush, huggable, dancing, and singing 12" cheetah toys with removable clothes and built-in music that is timed to the cheetahs body movements.

With the dancing cheetahs' current song, "I am a cheetah, a future leader. Teach me more", Lawrence and the company that she founded, Connect to Higher Education Electronic Tools, Application & Help (CHEETAH™), are helping students to become CHEETAH CUBS© (Children Understanding the Benefits of School) with a no-excuse attitude towards learning. The organization has created interactive, multi-functional and innovative toys that also have an embedded educational benefit that teaches life lessons. Complementary items include sing-along coloring books, music, puzzles, and commitment pledge. As the company continues to motivate children within several schools, a newly introduced mascot will have a lasting impact on students nationwide. CHEETAH™, with its niche of producing innovative and unique plush and stuffed toys, is also expanding its product lines to include promotional items.

Limited Editions of Dancing Cheetahs are guaranteed to be delivered for the Holidays, if purchased by 12/22/2011, on the company's website, www.mydreamcheetah.com. A free My First Sing-A-Long Coloring Book, which includes the words of the song in the toy are also available while supplies last. Grab your cheetah toys today.

MBE Showcase - Industrial Safety, LLC

This week we feature Industrial Safety, LLC

Industrial Safety is a leading provider of integrated supply, procurement and logistics solutions to Government entities and businesses. Industrial Safety is a full service Government Contractor and a preferred fulfillment partner to Fortune 500 Clients. Whether you are purchasing emergency supplies for a natural disaster or constructing a new Military Facility, Industrial Safety has all the supplies you need to effectively complete the job. Industrial Safety has relationships with over 2500 manufacturers and suppliers stocking over 1,000,000 items.

View Presentation

GNEMSDC Social Media News

The GNEMSDC is adding Skype and Google+ to our array of social media resources. Try it you just might like it.

"Like us" "Follow us" and Face Book, Twitter, and LinkedIn -Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council

Add "Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council" to your Google+ Circle.

Google+ for business is now available, see Google+ presentation

How to set up Google+ for business - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dn5iRkH7W_s

Opportunities with Corporate Members

NAACP Boston branch invites bid for Audit Services, closing January 14, 2012
The Boston Housing Authority (BHA) invites sealed bids for Lead Paint Abatement at various Federal Developments, BHA Job No. 0717-02, prepared by ATC Associates, 150 Zachary Road, Manchester, NH 03109
Connecticut Lottery Corporation Request for Proposals - Supplier Diversity Consulting Services
Employment Opportunity at MA State Treasurer's Office, for the Assistant Executive Director of Sales and Regional Operations for the Massachusetts State Lottery. For more information visit,www.masslottery.com
Tracks Unlimited, a NJ based railroad construction company, is looking for certified MBEs to assist them in a CT DOT Rail Project. If you are interested in the opportunities with this company contact, Ellen Brown, EEO Officer at Tracks Unlimited, 908-769-6840.

And Finally II & Essays on Minority Business Development

The Book is Now Available in Paperback!

Click here to Order Book Today!

Why you should buy?

Minority business owners who are looking for practical advice on better managing their enterprises will find a wealth of information in the book.

And anyone interested in the best practices in supplier diversity will find the book instructive and inspiring.

View Book Table of Content

Boston MBDA Business Center News - Welcome Jeannette Gerald

The Boston MBDA Business Center is pleased to announce that Jeannette Gerald has joined our team of business development professionals. Ms. Gerald headed her own business development consulting company since 2008. Prior to that, Ms. Gerald worked as the Senior Director at the Babson College of Executive Education. Ms Gerald also worked as the Vice President for the United Way of Massachusetts Bay where she headed their Community Impact and Investments group. Ms. Gerald has a BA in mathematics and physics from the University of MA Boston, a MBA from Roosevelt University and a Masters of Science in Information and Management Sciences from the University of Chicago. Ms. Gerald will be working with MBEs in the MBDA Center, helping them get to achieve a higher level of performance and success with public and private buying organizations. We are pleased to have her join our team.

Add "Boston MBDA Business Center" to your Google+ Circle.

US Commerce.Gov, Article - Boston MBDA Business Center Opens to Assist Minority Businesses

Boston MBDA GNEMSDC Business Center Grand Opening pictures by Tom Ficklin

And Finally...

It is very easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of business and miss the things that are important in life. The reality is that our time here is short and we have an opportunity everyday to make a difference in someone's life other than our own. There is a growing body of literature that points out that the key to personal satisfaction is not how much you make, or how much you keep, or how much you have, but how much you give. I am actively seeking opportunities to give of my time and resources. Not only does it make a big difference in the lives of those you help and need that help, sometimes desperately, it contributes to your own well being. The readers of this newsletter, in the terminology of OWS, are most likely part of the 10 percent, if not the 1 percent. And as difficult as our lives as business leaders sometimes seems, we are all very fortunate in ways that we sometimes forget. I too am guilty of forgetting this simple fact that while we all have worked hard, we owe much of our success to circumstances that were beyond our control and to people we may not even personally know. So this week I will reflect on my good fortune and attempt to give until it hurts. I hope that you will join me. Have a safe and Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanza and Joyous Hanukkah. And give.

In your service,

Dr. Fred

December 12, 2011

2011-12-12T05:54:00.001-05:00

GNEMSDC Quarterly Meeting & Business Card Exchange

4th Quarterly meeting & Holiday Card Exchange

GNEMSDC Holiday Business Card Exchange MA

Tuesday, December 13, 2011, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Location: Copley Place Sky Lobby (Center Court - Office Level) 100 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02116

RSVP by emailing jclarke@gnemsdc.org

We are proud to be collaborating with the Massachusetts Black Business Association on the event this Tuesday evening. We look forward to mingling and networking with these outstanding business leaders.

Thank you Lynette Shenefield of Citizen Financial Group and all of the folks at Citizen Financial Group for hosting a fantastic Quarterly meeting and Business Card Exchange last Wednesday in Providence RI

Annual Award Gala 2012

Save The Dates - Upcoming Events 2012

Here are dates and locations for some of the major events we want you to be aware of.

Tuesday, March 27 - 2nd Annual MBE Capital Conference - Hosted by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM (Date Subject to Change)
Thursday, April 26 - GNEMSDC Awards Gala and Annual Meeting at Aqua Turf Club, Southington, CT 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Wednesday, May 23 - NMSDC Awards Gala, NYC at the Hilton Towers Reception stars at 6:00 PM
Thursday, June 7 - Greater Boston Minority Business Enterprise Conference and Expo Location to be determined
Monday, June 11 - Greater Boston Supplier Diversity Golf Classic at Ferncroft County Club, Danvers, MA 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Friday, July 13 - Greater Connecticut Supplier Diversity Golf Classic at Lyman Orchards Golf Club, Middlefield, CT 8:00 AM to 2:30 PM
Wednesday through Friday, September 12 to 14, GNEMSDC Annual Business Opportunity Fair and Conference, MGM Grand at Foxwoods
Sunday October 28 to Wednesday, October 31 - NMSDC Conference and Business Opportunity Fair, Denver, CO

We hope to see you at as many of these events as possible!

NMSDC/GNEMSDC Upcoming Events, Activities and Information

Information and Presentations:

New Corporate Member - Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare

On behalf of the board of directors GNEMSDC, I welcome our new corporate member Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare.

For more than 35 years, Harvard Pilgrim has built a reputation for exceptional clinical quality, preventive care, disease management and member satisfaction and has consistently rated among the top plans in the country. Harvard Pilgrim is a full-service health benefits company serving members throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and beyond. Our mission is to improve the health of the people we serve and the health of society.

Harvard Pilgrim tops the list of America's Best Health Plans for eighth year in a row.

We look forward to working with HPHC.

MBE Showcase from Trade Expo 2011 - Banneker Industries, Inc.

This week we feature Banneker Industries, Inc.

Banneker Industries, Inc. is a world class provider of supply chain management solutions, specializing in third-party logistics (3PL) services. Headquartered in Rhode Island and with operations in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Indiana, California, Texas and Virginia, Team Banneker offers our customers a wide-range of 3PL services including Value-Added Warehousing, Procurement, Inspection, Onsite Services, Kitting, Packaging & Fulfillment and Distribution. Our customers demand precision in the management of their products and we deliver with instantaneous access to the critical information for swift decision making. Our "one-stop-shop" capabilities offer an array of value-added services to our customers that eliminate the redundancy, frustration and most importantly high costs associated with utilizing multiple supply chain partners. When you choose Banneker to consolidate and strengthen your supply chain, we deliver these capabilities with speed and agility.

As an ISO 9001:2008 and AS9100:2009 certified company, our Six Sigma and Lean/Agile trained Team Members reflect our commitment to provide our customers with the highest quality services possible. At Banneker we focus on the process as opposed to the product, enabling us to effectively provide solutions to multiple customers in diverse markets both domestically and internationally.

View Presentation

Congratulations on 20 years & 10 years success in business - Danial Penn Associates, Banneker Industries and Liberty Power

On behalf of the GNEMSDC board, I congratulate on twenty years of success in business to Daniel Penn Associates, Banneker Industries, Inc and ten years on Liberty Power.

Danial Penn Associates - (20 YEARS) is chieving true competitive advantage is an elusive goal. Just when you think you've arrived, fresh challenges present themselves in the form of new competitors, changes in the world marketplace, budgetary pressures, new technologies, and evolving workforce dynamics. Even positive factors such as business growth can stress operational performance to the point of declining profit margins and decreasing customer service levels.

Banneker Industrial, Inc. (20 Years) is a world class provider of supply chain management solutions, specializing in third-party logistics (3PL) services. Headquartered in Rhode Island and with operations in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Indiana, California, Texas and Virginia, Team Banneker offers our customers a wide-range of 3PL services including Value-Added Warehousing, Procurement, Inspection, Onsite Services, Kitting, Packaging & Fulfillment and Distribution. Our customers demand precision in the management of their products and we deliver with instantaneous access to the critical information for swift decision making. Our "one-stop-shop" capabilities offer an array of value-added services to our customers that eliminate the redundancy, frustration and most importantly high costs associated with utilizing multiple supply chain partners.

Liberty Power (10 Years) is a leading supplier of retail electricity and the fastest growing independent energy retailer focused on business and government customers in the United States. Large enterprises, entrepreneurs, emerging and mid-size businesses as well as city, state and national government agencies rely on Liberty for low-cost electricity and outstanding customer service.

Liberty Power is the only national, minority-owned energy provider and has a singular focus on understanding the specific needs of business and government customers providing the electricity and services they need to succeed. Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Liberty currently serves tens of thousands of business customers and numerous large enterprises in New York, Texas, Maryland and Washington, D.C

MBE News - Sir Speedy in Bloomfield

New Equipment brings expanded services to Sir Speedy in Bloomfield!

"For several years we have provided mailing services for some of Hartford's most recognizable financial services, healthcare and diversified manufacturing corporations. As our expertise and volume in mailing services increased, we found ourselves at a crossroads of maintaining the status quo or going big! As you've come to expect from us, we choose "BIG"!

We're proud to announce that we have increased our mailing capacity by adding Bell & Howell insertion equipment that allows us to do more....faster. Bottom line: increased mechanical capacity equals more competitive pricing, faster turn-around times and the peace of mind that comes from working with the recognized leader in print and marketing services.

After all, when you have 2 healthcare giants, the leading provider of insurance and wealth management services and the most recognizable high tech product manufacturers for the building and aerospace industries worldwide....you go BIG!

Next time you have a mailing project, no matter how small or large, consider giving us the opportunity to provide you with an estimate. "

Opportunities with Corporate Members

Connecticut Lottery Corporation Request for Proposals - Supplier Diversity Consulting Services
Employment Opportunity at MA State Treasurer's Office, for the Assistant Executive Director of Sales and Regional Operations for the Massachusetts State Lottery. For more information visit,www.masslottery.com
Tracks Unlimited, a NJ based railroad construction company, is looking for certified MBEs to assist them in a CT DOT Rail Project. If you are interested in the opportunities with this company contact, Ellen Brown, EEO Officer at Tracks Unlimited, 908-769-6840.

And Finally II & Essays on Minority Business Development

The Book is Now Available in Paperback!

Click here to Order Book Today!

Why you should buy?

Minority business owners who are looking for practical advice on better managing their enterprises will find a wealth of information in the book.

And anyone interested in the best practices in supplier diversity will find the book instructive and inspiring.

View Book Table of Content

Boston MBDA Business Center News

One tool the Boston MBDA Business Center will have at its disposal to assist MBEs in the identification of Federal prime and Tier 2 contract opportunities is a system called Input. This is more than a simple database of Federal contract award information and prospective contracts. The Business Center will be able to go into this system and see which large companies, universities and hospitals have federal contracts. Perhaps even more important is the level of detail we will have into these contracts. We will be able to know which of these large contractors have small business goals, small disadvantaged business goals, HUB Zone goals, and importantly how these firms are doing on these goals. The Center will be in contact with these Federal contractors with the intent of introducing them to MBEs who they can work with meet the requirements of the those contracts. Because of our MBE assessment process, we will be able to present the best businesses these large contractors can work with. This new approach of proactively seeking opportunities where known opportunities exist is exciting and I believe the key to our future success at MBE development. MBEs who want to participate and access this information need to contact the Business Center, Joanne Wang at 617-578-8900 and set up an appointment. We are looking for the best MBEs in every industry. Give us a call. We are also looking for the best corporate members to come forward and try out this new approach to MBE development. Let's start making some big things happen!

US Commerce.Gov, Article - Boston MBDA Business Center Opens to Assist Minority Businesses

Boston MBDA GNEMSDC Business Center Grand Opening pictures by Tom Ficklin

And Finally...

If you have not noticed, the GNEMSDC has sharpened our focus this year on effective business development. I have to credit the MBDA for some of that concentrated effort. But most of it comes from years of experience in minority business development and a growing sense of urgency. I believe that the success of MBEs is desirable from the perspective of our corporate members and society, not to mention the very direct benefit to the MBEs. And I also believe that our organization has matured to go beyond simply bringing corporate buyers and MBEs together in an effort to build relationships. Relationships are vitally important, and we will continue to make relationship building a key component of our activities and programs. But now we are laser focused on finding out exactly what our corporate members want and what it will take for MBEs to win those opportunities. The discussions we are having and want to have with all of our corporate members is that simple and that direct. This type of "straight talk" is productive for both our MBEs and our corporate members. It cuts through all of the fog and gets to the essence of why we ultimately exist as an organization. I hope to be spending much of my time in coming weeks having these discussions with as many corporate members as possible. Remember, I will be asking: What do you buy? And, what will it take for any business to win that business? I will also ask corporate members to let us, together, look at all opportunities from the C-suite to cargo bay. I believe we have MBEs who are ready, right now, to win more business with all of our corporate members, right now.

In your service,

Dr. Fred

December 5, 2011

2011-12-04T21:22:00.001-05:00

GNEMSDC Quarterly Meeting & Business Card Exchange

GNEMSDC Quarterly Meeting & Holiday Business Card Exchange will be hosted by Citizens Financial Group Inc. Wednesday, December 7, 2011, Quarterly Meeting: - 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm

Holiday Business Card Exchange: 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Location: Citizens Financial Group, Inc. 1 Citizens Plaza (13th Floor) Providence, RI 02093

Registration form

Please note - There will be a charge for parking. You can park at the Citizens parking garage, if that garage is full you can park at the Providence Place Mall. Once you are in the building security will check you in and you will be escorted to the elevator, security will have to punch in access for you to enter elevator. You will need to take the elevator to the 12th floor. DO NOT GET OFF THE ELEVATOR UNTIL YOU REACH 12TH FLOOR. Once on the 12th floor, get off the elevator, walk towards spiral stair case and go up to the 13th Floor.

GNEMSDC Holiday Business Card Exchange MA

Tuesday, December 13, 2011, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Location: Copley Place Sky Lobby (Center Court - Office Level) 100 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02116

RSVP by emailing jclarke@gnemsdc.org

Thank you Kristen Hickey of Aetna and all of the folks at Aetna for hosting a fantastic Business Card Exchange last Thursday night in Hartford.

Save The Dates - Upcoming Events 2012

Here are dates and locations for some of the major events we want you to be aware of.

Tuesday, March 27 - 2nd Annual MBE Capital Conference - Hosted by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM (Date Subject to Change)
Thursday, April 26 - GNEMSDC Awards Gala and Annual Meeting at Aqua Turf Club, Southington, CT 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Wednesday, May 23 - NMSDC Awards Gala, NYC at the Hilton Towers Reception stars at 6:00 PM
Thursday, June 7 - Greater Boston Minority Business Enterprise Conference and Expo Location to be determined
Monday, June 11 - Greater Boston Supplier Diversity Golf Classic at Ferncroft County Club, Danvers, MA 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Friday, July 13 - Greater Connecticut Supplier Diversity Golf Classic at Lyman Orchards Golf Club, Middlefield, CT 8:00 AM to 2:30 PM
Wednesday through Friday, September 12 to 14, GNEMSDC Annual Business Opportunity Fair and Conference, MGM Grand at Foxwoods
Sunday October 28 to Wednesday, October 31 - NMSDC Conference and Business Opportunity Fair, Denver, CO

We hope to see you at as many of these events as possible!

NMSDC/GNEMSDC Upcoming Events, Activities and Information

Events and Activities:

December 14, 5:45 - 2011 We Are Boston Gala at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, 415 Summer Street, Boston

Information and Presentations:

MBE News - Congratulations to Banneker Industries, Inc

On behalf of GNEMSDC Board of Directors, Congratulations to Banneker Industries, Inc.

U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse made a visit to Quonset Point this month to a site managed and renovated by R.I.-based and woman-owned Banneker Industries, Inc., a leader in supply chain management solutions and a past national recipient of Small Business of the Year honors. Banneker President and CEO Cheryl Snead led the tour of the Quonset site, one of Banneker's many managed sites throughout the U.S., and a former Naval facility that has been retrofitted with extensive infrastructure enhancements to suit the needs of their clients. One of their long standing success stories is with Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems (IDS), with whom they have a collaborative partnership in managing the supply chain of the Zumwalt Destroyer Program.

November 28, 2011

2011-11-28T05:31:00.000-05:00

GNEMSDC Quarterly Meeting & Business Card Exchange

GNEMSDC Holiday Business Card Exchange CT. Hosted by Aetna, Inc.

Thursday, December 1, 2011, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Location: Aetna Inc, 151 Farmington Avenue Hartford, CT 06156

Registration is required. RSVP by emailing jclarke@gnemsdc.org Deadline to register is November 27, 2011. **When you email us for this event please let us know if you have any special dietary needs.

GNEMSDC Quarterly Meeting & Holiday Business Card Exchange will be hosted by Citizens Financial Group Inc. Wednesday, December 7, 2011, Quarterly Meeting: - 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm

Holiday Business Card Exchange: 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Location: Citizens Financial Group, Inc. 1 Citizens Plaza (13th Floor) Providence, RI 02093

Registration form

GNEMSDC Holiday Business Card Exchange MA

Tuesday, December 13, 2011, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Location: Copley Place Sky Lobby (Dartmouth Street Shops) 100 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02116

RSVP by emailing jclarke@gnemsdc.org

MBE Showcase from Trade Expo 2011 - Sayers

This week we feature Sayers. 27 years ago, former professional football star and entrepreneur Gale Sayers set out to create a technology services business based on the core values that shaped his outstanding success on the playing field - focus, teamwork and trust.

Since that time, Sayers has grown into an industry-leading IT services and solution provider, offering the latest and most sophisticated technologies, while staying true to our founder's original vision. Over the past three decades, we have established a powerful track record of success, highly personalized service and lasting client relationships. We have averaged a 95% customer retention rate for the past 15 years.

Companies stay with Sayers because we deliver. We create customized, thoughtful solutions to meet your needs - not off-the-shelf approaches, or technology you don't need. We partner with world-class vendors. We transfer knowledge to our clients. Our senior professionals are focused, customer-driven and among the most experienced in the business. We are an independent, minority-owned business committed to our core values and to producing exceptional results for our customers.

View Presentation

NMSDC/GNEMSDC Upcoming Events, Activities and Information

Events and Activities:

December 1, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm - GNEMSDC Holiday Card Exchange - CT Location to be determined
December 7, 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm - GNEMSDC Quarterly Meeting at Citizens Bank, Providence RI (see article above)
December 7, 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm - GNEMSDC Holiday Card Exchange - RI at Citizens Bank following GNEMSDC Quarterly Meeting (see article above).
December 13, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm - GNEMSDC Holiday Card Exchange - Boston, Sky Lobby, Copley Plaza, Boston
December 14, 5:45 - 2011 We Are Boston Gala at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, 415 Summer Street, Boston

Information and Presentations:

Opportunities with Corporate Members

Yale New Haven Health System Request for Quotation for Electronics Re-Seller Agreement. This agreement will cover hardware purchases only and will be a 3 year agreement. Contact James Bouchard at 203.453.4554 x204 (office) or email at jbouchard@medpricer.com
The Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority is seeking a contractor to provide a digital interactive way-finding solution for the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
Opportunity with Capital City Economic Development Authority (CCEDA) in Hartford for a Certified Public Accounting firm to conduct a review of the financial records of the CCEDA. For the entire RFP document contact, Dr. Fred at fmckinney@gnemsdc.org.
DATTCO, Inc. Employment Opportunities

And Finally II & Essays on Minority Business Development

The Book is Now Available in Paperback!

Click here to Order Book Today!

Why you should buy?

Minority business owners who are looking for practical advice on better managing their enterprises will find a wealth of information in the book.

And anyone interested in the best practices in supplier diversity will find the book instructive and inspiring.

View Book Table of Content

Boston MBDA Business Center News - Certification 2.0

While the Boston MBDA Business Center has limited capacity and a very targeted goal of helping Category 2, 3 and 4 MBEs get large contracts, there is something in our approach that will be great for all MBEs. We are on the verge of a revolution in the approach the GNEMSDC is taking for MBEs of all sizes. I am calling it Certification 2.0.

But first let's look at Certification 1.0. In the early days of the NMSDC and MBE certification, our corporate members were looking for an independent cost effective organization like the GNEMSDC to verify the legitimacy of the business as a MBE. The benefit of certification was that these MBEs would be provided access to corporate opportunities and programs designed to assist in their development. This approach worked well for the first 30 or so years until corporations discovered and embraced the concepts of strategic sourcing and global sourcing. Combined these two approaches viewed procurement as a profit center as opposed to just an administrative function of the organization. Strategic and global sourcing forced buying organizations to rationalize their supply chain by looking carefully at every supplier to make sure that they were getting the maximum value from that supplier. Suppliers that could be replaced by higher value suppliers were eliminated from the supply chain and new suppliers were heavily scrutinized. Senior procurement managers were on the path of reducing the number of suppliers and looking in every corner of the world for world class competitive suppliers. This approach had the unintended consequence of putting strategic and global sourcing in direct competition with the mission of increasing the numbers of MBEs in the supply chain. Corporations realized that there were substantial resource costs to adding and vetting new suppliers. In this environment, which shows no signs of abating, MBEs have to demonstrate far more than their minority business status. Corporate buyers are looking for MBEs who can deliver high quality, cost competitive goods and services with little or no risk to the corporation. It has been my experience, that this is the source of frustration for MBEs who want to enter corporate supply chains and the supplier diversity professionals who are there to assist them. Certification 1.0 is simply not good enough in this new reality.

This brings me to Certification 2.0. Instead of wishing for a return to an earlier time, I am convinced that in order for the GNEMSDC to remain relevant we must not only certify that a business has certain racial and ethnic characteristics, but that these businesses also possess an ability to deliver at very specific levels of contracts. What we are offering all certified MBEs and all MBEs who enter into the Boston MBDA Business Center is a rigorous assessment that will demonstrate to potential corporate buyers that the MBE has strengths and weaknesses, but can deliver at a certain level based on verifiable contracting experiences. The assessment will look at the largest and most recent contracts the MBE has performed along with feedback from customers. The assessment will look at the financial health and performance of the MBE. The assessment will look at actual contracts to show where the MBE has performed work so that corporate buyers can easily determine if the MBE has the capacity for local, regional, national or global work. The assessment will focus on the information technology strengths and weaknesses of the MBE. The assessment will look at the quality systems in place within the MBE firm to demonstrate that buyers are only buying what is of value. The assessment will review the quality and depth of management of the MBE firm. These and other factors are what corporations are insisting on before access to their supply chains is granted.

I realize that no firm welcomes this type of invasive approach unless there is a clear benefit. The benefit of Certification 2.0 is that MBEs and the GNEMSDC will be able to vouch for MBEs based on their qualifications to perform. The assessment will without question show that every company could use help in some area. The GNEMSDC will offer direction and support for MBEs who need help. We will do this by identifying corporate mentors, paying for tuition to programs that address gaps, and providing face to face strategic consulting.

We cannot force any MBE firm to provide information about their company. I also know from experience, that MBEs are particularly secretive when it comes to their financial performance. This is understandable, and the GNEMSDC will maintain the highest level of confidentiality with MBE data. However, MBEs must also understand, that what they want to protect is often required by corporate members. There really are no secrets anymore in business.

So in coming weeks, we will be sharing with MBEs the assessment questions. Next week, I will discuss how the assessment ties into the Vendor Management System the GNEMSDC will unveil in 2012. At the end of the day, organizations like the GNEMSDC either become ever more relevant to our corporate members, or they simply go away. I have no intention of letting us simply fade away.

US Commerce.Gov, Article - Boston MBDA Business Center Opens to Assist Minority Businesses

Boston MBDA GNEMSDC Business Center Grand Opening pictures by Tom Ficklin

And Finally...

Last month I wrote an editorial that was published in the Diversity Plus Magazine (Diversity Plus Editorial) entitled "Why the U.S. Should Open its Doors". The premise of the article is that the United States is a large country that even with 300 million people is largely empty in terms of land space. But more importantly, recent moves by Alabama, Georgia, and Arizona to enact laws to restrict immigration are not only racist, but counter productive to the economic interests of the nation and even those states that enact them. This became clearer last week when the St. Louis Dispatch ran a front page solicitation to Mercedes Benz to move their plant from Alabama to Missouri after a Mercedes Benz executive was arrested in Alabama for not having the proper identification under the new Alabama immigration law. This would be funny if it were not so stupid, It sometimes takes the sublime to illustrate the ridiculous. I only hope other states are taking notice. The Mercedes Benz case illustrates the unintended consequences of bad law. Now we are learning that crops in Alabama and Georgia are dying in the fields for the want of labor. That the largest city Birmingham and the state of Alabama itself is teetering on bankruptcy. It is only after the economic consequences of racist laws are exposed as bad for business and society that wiser heads will drown out the cacophony of the ignorant. We tried Jim Crow before and it failed. Let's not turn back the clock. Increased immigration should be embraces as a way to further develop the U.S. economy and not as if it is a cost to existing citizens. Leaders should understand that immigrants can provide great value that will help lead our nation and economy into the 21st century.

In your service,

Dr. Fred

November 21, 2011

2011-11-20T20:54:00.005-05:00

GNEMSDC Quarterly Meeting & Business Card Exchange

GNEMSDC Holiday Business Card Exchange CT. Hosted by Aetna, Inc.

Thursday, December 1, 2011, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Location: Aetna Inc, 151 Farmington Avenue Hartford, CT 06156

Registration is required. RSVP by emailing jclarke@gnemsdc.org Deadline to register is November 27, 2011. **When you email us for this event please let us know if you have any special dietary needs.

GNEMSDC Quarterly Meeting & Holiday Business Card Exchange will be hosted by Citizens Financial Group Inc.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011, Quarterly Meeting: - 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm

Holiday Business Card Exchange: 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Location: Citizens Financial Group, Inc. 1 Citizens Plaza (13th Floor) Providence, RI 02093

Registration form

GNEMSDC Holiday Business Card Exchange MA

Tuesday, December 13, 2011, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Location: Copley Place Sky Lobby (Dartmouth Street Shops) 100 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02116

RSVP by emailing jclarke@gnemsdc.org

Johnson Controls Supplier Diversity & Business Development program

Invitation to NMSDC or WBENC certified diversity suppliers in the following scopes of work to attend an outreach discussion on Johnson Controls SupplierDiversity & Business Development program. This event will take place in Boston, MA. Please contact Dr. Fred (fmckinney@gnemsdc.org) for more details if any of the products and services listed below are things your certified MBE supplies.

HVAC Controls Installer
Security System Installer
Fire System Installer
Fire & security parts supplier (other than conduit, cable ) Cameras enunciators

Parts Supplier (wire, cable, conduit, back boxes, etc.)

Data cable installer
Audio/Visual
Engineering Services
Mechanical
Electrical (Building Controls - Non Residential)
Plumbing
Windows (Installers, Distributors)
Architect and Engineering Consultants
Roofing (Commercial - Non Residential)
Solar Panels (Installers, Distributors)
Piping and sheet metal contractors in markets where we do not self perform (We have sheet metal/fab shops in the Bay Area, Phoenix, Kansas City, Milwaukee)
Insulation (Installers, Distributors)
Demolition
Crane/rigging
Commodity (filters, belts & accessories)
Pest Control
Waste Management
Elevator Maintenance
Pharma Lab Services

MBE Showcase from Trade Expo 2011 - Advans

This week we feature Advans. Advans was founded with the notion of becoming a superlative Information Technology Consulting and Solution Provider firm. Additionally, Advans is developing hosted applications with a cloud computing architecture to provide cost-effective point solutions for charitable organizations, healthcare and other industries.

View Presentation

NMSDC/GNEMSDC Upcoming Events, Activities and Information

Events and Activities:

December 1, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm - GNEMSDC Holiday Card Exchange - CT Location to be determined
December 7, 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm - GNEMSDC Quarterly Meeting at Citizens Bank, Providence RI (see article above)
December 7, 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm - GNEMSDC Holiday Card Exchange - RI at Citizens Bank following GNEMSDC Quarterly Meeting (see article above).
December 13, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm - GNEMSDC Holiday Card Exchange - Boston, Sky Lobby, Copley Plaza, Boston
December 14, 5:45 - 2011 We Are Boston Gala at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, 415 Summer Street, Boston

Information and Presentations:

Opportunities with Corporate Members

Yale New Haven Health System Request for Quotation for Electronics Re-Seller Agreement. This agreement will cover hardware purchases only and will be a 3 year agreement. Contact James Bouchard at 203.453.4554 x204 (office) or email at jbouchard@medpricer.com
The Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority is seeking a contractor to provide a digital interactive way-finding solution for the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
Opportunity with Capital City Economic Development Authority (CCEDA) in Hartford for a Certified Public Accounting firm to conduct a review of the financial records of the CCEDA. For the entire RFP document contact, Dr. Fred at fmckinney@gnemsdc.org.

Job Openings at GNEMSDC

The GNEMSDC is looking for a procurement professional with supplier diversity and entrepreneurship experience for the Boston office to be a part of our exciting new MBDA Business Center. This is a full time position. Interested parties should send their resumes to Joanne Wang at

jwang@gnembc.org.

The GNEMSDC is also looking for an administrative assistant for the Boston office. Interested parties should send their resumes to akim@gnemsdc.org

The GNEMSDC is also looking for a person to serve as an administrative assistant in our Hamden office. Interested parties should send resumes to Gloria Yopp at gyopp@gnemsdc.org.

And Finally II & Essays on Minority Business Development

The Book is Now Available in Paperback!

Click here to Order Book Today!

Why you should buy?

Minority business owners who are looking for practical advice on better managing their enterprises will find a wealth of information in the book.

And anyone interested in the best practices in supplier diversity will find the book instructive and inspiring.

View Book Table of Content

Boston MBDA Business Center News

Dr. Fred, MA.Gov Patrick, MBDA National Director David Hinson

On Tuesday, November 15, 2011 the Honorable Governor Deval Patrick from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and David A. Hinson, National Director of the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) joined legislators, dignitaries, and business owners in celebrating the opening of the new MBDA Business Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

The new center received a five-year $1,375,000 federal grant from MBDA to operate in the Boston area to assist minority businesses to successfully compete globally and domestically, and to gain access to contracts, capital and markets. The center will be operated by the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council (GNEMSDC). MBDA Minority Business Development Centers guide businesses into the right arrangement based on the company's direction, core competencies, and opportunities based on industry.

These centers offer help with:

Simple Contracts
Open-ended Contracts
Joint Contracts
Mentor-Protégé Relationships
Supplier Development Relationships
Strategic Partnerships
Joint Ventures
Acquisitions

US Commerce.Gov, Article - Boston MBDA Business Center Opens to Assist Minority Businesses

Boston MBDA GNEMSDC Business Center Grand Opening pictures by Tom Ficklin

MBE Input Committee Chairperson Elections

by Carlton Oneal

To all MBEs, it is once again time to nominate and elect the MBE Input Committee Chairperson. The election process will begin next Monday, November 28 and will conclude on December 15. As part of the election process, each nominee will present his or her platform during the GNEMSDC 4th Quarterly Meeting on December 7 at Citizens Bank in Providence RI. By next Monday, November 28, we (the MBEIC) will send out nomination forms.

Any Certified MBE can nominate him or herself;
Any Certified MBE can nominate another MBE from other GNEMSDC certified MBEs;
Each Candidate must submit his or her platform in writing;
Voting ballots will be created and made available;
Election will be completed at 5:00 PM on December 15, 2011.

Who can run?

Any GNEMSDC certified MBE
A reciprocally certified MBE from another Council
MBE must have two years as an "active" member of the Minority Business Enterprise Input Committee
Nominee must be an owner or principle of the certified MBE to which he/she belongs

Who can vote?

Any certified MBE in good standing with the GNEMSDC, One vote per certified firm;
The election process is open to all certified GNEMSDC local and reciprocally certified MBEs

For more information or questions regarding the process, contact Carlton Oneal at carltononeal@lightspeededu.com.

And Finally...

Three times in the last week I have been asked for statistical studies showing the positive impact supplier diversity has on measures of corporate performance. As a former B-school professor who taught statistical analysis, and now as a supplier diversity professional, unfortunately I had to respond all three times that the definitive study has not been done. What has been done are a number of case studies that in no way would pass scientific muster. You see the problem starts with data, or more specifically the lack of data. A definitive study would identify a hypothetical model with a dependent variable, perhaps a measure of corporate performance, perhaps profitability. The next task would be identify a series of explanatory variables that would include a company's investment (expenditure) on supplier diversity, the number of diverse suppliers, along with tradition variables that are thought to influence profitability, variables like quality of management, quality of technology, market share, quality of labor, and perhaps some other variables. This multi-variable analysis would with the use of regression analysis attempt to isolate the independent impact each of the explanatory variables has on the dependent variable, profitability. In regression analysis, we are often concerned about the three S's, the sign of the coefficients, the size of the coefficients and the statistical significance of the coefficients. In this case, we would hope to find that supplier diversity had a positive, large and statistically significant impact on corporate performance. Only a study that took this multi-variable approach would have any authority to say that supplier diversity has any statistically significant impact on corporate performance. Case studies unfortunately are all that we have and these approaches at best can only suggest correlation between supplier diversity and corporate performance. And even under the best of circumstances, correlation is nothing more than establishing that a relationship exists between two variables. Correlation is not causation, and even worse without a multi-variable approach you cannot determine if the impact of the two variables is spurious, or in which direction the causation flows. That is enough statistics mumbo jumbo. However, based on this brief note, the good news is that such a study could be done, but it would require much better information about our corporate members than I have ever seen. Perhaps this is an item that could be taken up by corporate members of the NMSDC. So all we have to rely on now is the statistically unsupported view that supplier diversity can lead to better corporate performance. I hope I am right in that hypothesis. I think we all hope we are right with this hypothesis. But only a good study will ever allow us to reject or not reject that hypothesis.

In your service,

Dr. Fred

November 14, 2011

2011-11-14T06:57:00.001-05:00

GNEMSDC Quarterly Meeting & Business Card Exchange

GNEMSDC Quarterly Meeting & Holiday Business Card Exchange will be hosted by Citizens Financial Group Inc.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011, Quarterly Meeting: - 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm

Holiday Business Card Exchange: 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Location: Citizens Financial Group, Inc. 1 Citizens Plaza (13th Floor) Providence, RI 02093

Registration form

About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.:

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is a $132 billion commercial bank holding company. It is headquartered in Providence, R.I., and, through its subsidiaries, has more than 1,500 branches, approximately 3,900 ATMs and more than 20,900colleagues. Its two bank subsidiaries are RBS Citizens, N.A. and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. They operate a 12-state branch network under the Citizens Bank brand in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont, and the Charter One brand in Illinois, Michigan and Ohio. CFG has non-branch retail and commercial offices in about 40 states. CFG is owned by RBS (The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc).

GNEMSDC Welcomes New Corporate Member - Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company

On behalf of GNEMSDC Board of Directors, I welcome Millennnium The Takeda Oncology Company as a new corporate member.

" Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company combines the innovative science of a leading American biopharmaceutical company with the global assets - both intellectual and fiscal - of Japan's largest pharmaceutical company.

Our mission is to deliver extraordinary medicines to patients with cancer worldwide through our science, innovation, and passion.

We are focused exclusively in oncology to improve the treatment of cancer around the world. Our pipeline has more than 15 oncology investigational compounds that target a broad range of cancers."

Toyota Honored By National Minority Supplier Development Council For Its Commitment With Diverse Suppliers

On behalf of the GNEMSDC board, I congratulate Toyota recognized as the 2011 Corporation of the Year for its $1 billion investment, development and advocacy in minority businesses across the United States.

Toyota is committed to having a supplier base, which more closely reflects the diversity of our customers and the diversity of our team members who build Toyota vehicles in North America. Having a diverse supplier base enables us to contribute to the economic well-being of all segments of the U.S. population. Also, we recognize that partnering with suppliers who provide a diversity of ideas - in addition to delivering manufacturing support, goods and services - creates a significant competitive advantage for Toyota.

See NMSDC press release

MBE Showcase from Trade Expo 2011 - Yumi Eco Solutions

This week we feature Yumi Eco Solutions. Yumi Eco Solutions is one of our newest certified MBEs. Yumi Eco Solutions presented at the GNEMSDC Expo in October. This environmentally friendly producer of green products is poised to serve the growing needs of corporations throughout the region. Please take a look at their presentation.

View Presentation

NMSDC/GNEMSDC Upcoming Events, Activities and Information

Events and Activities:

November 15, 5:00 pm - 7:30 pm - GNEMSDC and Boston MBDA Business Center Reception at Copley Plaza Center Court. Come and join national, state and local business and political leaders in this celebration of the opening of the Boston MBDA Business Center.
November 16, 5:30 pm - Metropolitan District (MDC) Invites Hispanic Small Business to Event Discussing Contracting Opportunities. Free Seminar at Cora-Cora Restaurant
November 16, 4-6 pm - Short Term Lending Program East West Bank, 68 Harrison Avenue 1st Floor, Boston, MA Come and learn about this funding source specifically designed for DBEs in the Department of Transportation program. The Flyer attached provides more information on the program. US DOT ProductsÂ
December 1, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm - GNEMSDC Holiday Card Exchange - CT Location to be determined
December 7, 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm - GNEMSDC Quarterly Meeting at Citizens Bank, Providence RI (see article above)
December 7, 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm - GNEMSDC Holiday Card Exchange - RI at Citizens Bank following GNEMSDC Quarterly Meeting (see article above).
December 13, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm - GNEMSDC Holiday Card Exchange - Boston, Sky Lobby, Copley Plaza, Boston
December 14, 5:45 - 2011 We Are Boston Gala at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, 415 Summer Street, Boston

Information and Presentations:

Job Openings at GNEMSDC

jwang@gnembc.org.

The GNEMSDC is also looking for an administrative assistant for the Boston office. Interested parties should send their resumes to akim@gnemsdc.org

The GNEMSDC is also looking for a person to serve as an administrative assistant in our Hamden office. Interested parties should send resumes to Gloria Yopp at gyopp@gnemsdc.org.

Boston MBDA Business Center Grand Opening!

The GNEMSDC is proud to announce the Grand Opening of the MBDA Business Center - Boston on Tuesday, November 15 from 3:00 to 4:30 PM at the GNEMSDC offices in Copley Plaza. Invited guests include MBDA National Director David Hinson, Regional Director Heyward Davenport. The U.S. Department of Commerce will also be inviting Governor Deval Patrick, Senators Scott Brown and John Kerry and Congressman Michael Capuano.

Please see invitation

The Grand Opening is now completely SOLD OUT, but everyone is welcome to join us for a reception in Copley Plaza immediately following the Grand Opening.

Please RSVP by contacting Joanne Wang at jwang@gnembc.org. There will be a reception to follow the Grand Opening.

And Finally...

Walt Disney has a movie out now that is one of the best movies I have seen in years and there is not one person, or one animated computerized creation, or one cartoon in it. The movie is African Cats. African Cats is the fascinating stories of a cheetah family and a lion pride and their struggle for survival in East Africa on the Serengeti Plain. Cheetahs are solitary creatures until a mother cheetah gives birth. Lions on the other hand are complex social creatures with a hierarchy and a solid gender based division of labor - the lioness work and the lions eat what the lionesses catch! Life even for lionesses is not fair. But this is the subject of another story. I doubt that the creators of this movie were trying to relate this story to how to succeed in business, but I could not help to see the connection. Companies often use hunting as the metaphor for sales. Your prospects are targets. It is a jungle out there. Sales people, eat what they kill. Whatever the analogy, business like life on the Serengeti is a brutal game of survival. Lionesses and cheetahs are very interesting hunters. Lionesses hunt as a team and cheetahs hunt alone. But there is a striking similarity between the two cats. They both focus intensely on a single target. In the Serengeti, there are wildebeest, antelopes and other potential prey for lions and cheetahs. When the wildebeest make their annual trek across lion country, there are hundreds of thousands of them. Yet with so many to choose from, the lions and the cheetah pick one that will hopefully become their source of survival. The cat chases that target until it either captures it or it escapes to live another day. This is a dangerours game for both the hunter and the hunted. The wildebeest is not without it's own strategy of survival that includes injuring or killing the predator. The business lesson from the African Cats can be summed up in three questions:

What are you are you focused on?
How committed are you to accomplishing your goals?
What are your strategies for success?

If you do not think through these important questions, it is likely that your business, no matter how big today will become someone else's meal tomorrow.

In your service,

Dr. Fred