By Audrey J. Bernard (Society Editor / MYfeedback@eurweb.com)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK -- One of the most sought after tickets on the corporate social calendar is the
National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) Annual Leadership Awards Dinner-Dance held at the Hilton New York and Towers hotel.
This year’s sold out black-tie dinner-dance attracted over 1,430 guests including top CEOs and executives from Fortune 500 corporations and the crème de la crème of minority business owners from across the nation.
There are so many over successful self-starters in corporate America doing many great things and their significant accomplishments are encouraged by NMSDC who, for the past thirty years, has been at the forefront of fostering partnerships with member corporations and minority businesses and then recognizing those who are a cut above the rest.
To that end, NMSDC annually honors individuals who have long-term achievements in minority business development. The 2004 Minority Business Leadership Awards were presented to Honoree
Steven S. Reinemund, Chairman & CEO, PepsiCo; Honoree
Janice Bryant Howroyd, Chairman & CEO, Act 1 Group; and Honoree
Robert Ontiveros, Chairman, Group O Companies.
During the award presentation, NMSDC’s President,
Harriet R. Michel, was assisted by
John M. Barth, Chairman, President and CEO, Johnson Controls, Inc. and Chairman-NMSDC and
Thomas W. Sidlik, Member, Board of Management, Executive Vice President, Global Procurement and Supply, DaimlerChrysler Corporation and Vice Chairman, NMSDC.
“High achievement and decades of commitment to the power of solid alliances between minority businesses and their corporate partners are what distinguish this year’s honorees” said Michel.
“As individuals they are recognized as leaders in America’s business community. Collectively they represent strength, perseverance, vision, forthrightness and commitment to our mutual goal that all Americans deserve a chance to take full part in our nation’s economic progress,” she concluded.
The NMSDC Network is committed to the growth of minority-owned businesses –- the most energetic, entrepreneurial force in America. Their development benefits minority communities, corporate America, and America as a whole.
When a corporation works with a minority-owned business enterprise (MBE), it broadens its supplier base -- and it also develops a powerful, productive business ally. More importantly, this support helps build the foundation for a stronger, more equitable society in which all can flourish.
Founded in 1972 to expand business opportunities for minority-owned suppliers by linking them with purchasers in the public and private sectors, NMSDC boasts 15,000 minority-owned businesses nationwide and 3,500 member corporations that want to purchase their goods and services. In 2002, members’ purchases from minority businesses exceeded $72.1 billion.
Throughout the gorgeous evening guests mingled and enjoyed valuable networking opportunities during a lavish reception and at the sumptuous dinner which followed. This was no corporate takeover of time as, in keeping with past events, guests enjoyed a magnificently short program followed by dancing to marvelous music by
George Gee Orchestra featuring soulful soloist
Carla Cook.
About Howroyd
Janice Bryant Howroyd founded ACT 1 Personnel Services in 1978 with a single office in Beverly Hills, focused on the entertainment industry. It has since expanded to serve large corporate clients with temporary workers in technical, clerical, engineering, accounting and managed services.
Today, ACT 1 has grown into a network of over 70 strategically positioned offices across the United States, and employs more than 65,000 temporary employees and over 300 full-time employees nationwide. The company had sales of over $518 million in 2003. Last year, Black Enterprise magazine named the company the third largest African-American owned business in the United States.
About Ontiveros
Robert Ontiveros is the chairman of Group O Companies in Milan, Illinois. In 1974, after working for a family-owned packaging supply company, Robert Ontiveros decided to become an entrepreneur. He and his wife took a station wagon and began selling packaging material and equipment almost door to door. The couple’s first major customer was John Deere.
Today, Mr. Ontiveros is chairman of an organization with 400 employees, three business segments and a holding corporation. The three businesses are Bi-State Packaging, R&O Specialties and Group O Direct. And the customers include a wide range of industries: telecommunications, heavy equipment, automotive, food and beverage, pharmaceutical and packaged goods. Group O has over $167 million in sales and more than 600 employees, with facilities in Illinois and Indiana.
About Reinemund
Steven S. Reinemund is the chairman and chief executive officer of PepsiCo, Inc., a world leader in convenient snacks, goods and beverages, with $27 billion in sales and 142,000 employees. The company’s subsidiaries include Frito-Lay, Quaker and Tropicana. They have had a structured M/WBE program since 1982.
In 2003, PepsiCo spent $335 million with first tier minority suppliers. They require their prime suppliers to report dollars spent with MBEs, for an additional $220 million. The overall goal is to grow MBE purchases 12% annually; goals are established for each division and each category of procurement. Each PepsiCo Division President has an aggressive supplier diversity target.
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