News Posted 08/28/09

MILESTONE granted Minority Business Enterprise Certification by the National Minority Supplier Development Council

Synopsis:
Milestone Technologies, Inc., who offers customized IT support services, including managed services, virtualization solutions, and staff augmentation, is granted Minority Business Enterprise Certification by the National Minority Supplier Development Council and by its affiliate, the Northern California Supplier Development Council.

Story:
FREMONT, CA — August 28, 2009 — U.S.-based corporations have been focusing on doing business abroad to save costs. What American businesses don’t always consider are the savings they can realize and the growth to our economy that occurs when they work with minority business enterprises (MBEs), right here in the USA! MBEs in the United States do not come with boarders, negotiated trade agreements, cultural or language barriers, and already comply with U.S. regulations. Making up 15% of all businesses in 2007, MBEs are not only located in all 50 states, but many are also house-hold names. Chartered in 1972, the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) was formed to provide a direct link between corporate America and MBEs.

Milestone Technologies, Inc. (MILESTONE), who has been developing and delivering IT support services and solutions since 1997, announced the MBE certification in July, 2009. The designation is made by the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) and by its affiliate, the Northern California Supplier Development Council (NCSDC). MILESTONE is a minority-owned business. Prem Chand, the youngest child of an immigrant family from India, is MILESTONE’s Founder, President, and CEO. Certification affirms that the applicant business is operated, owned, controlled, and managed by (a) U.S. citizen(s), and a majority (at least 51%) of whom are racial or ethnic minorities.

MILSTONE is proud to be part of this supply chain community and expects to increase their supplier diversity opportunities. Recently being named to the 2009 Inc. 5000, for the second time as one of the fastest growing private companies in America, MILESTONE is optimistic that their involvement will cultivate new partnerships with other corporate members and certified suppliers.

The NCSDC goals are to expose minority owned businesses to the corporate buying market, provide companies with information on qualified MBE suppliers, and to increase corporate purchases from minority owned businesses. NCMSDC provides educational seminars, networking events, and contracting opportunities.

MILESTONE’s Director of Sales Aida Johnson attended a NCMSDC seminar on how to make the most of this certification. The speakers discussed the importance of getting involved at events, keeping your profile updated, and doing your homework on clients. Johnson said, “Being listed as an MBE helps us learn about other opportunities we may have not known about if we weren’t certified.” MILESTONE’s Business Development Manager Sharron Terrel attended Senator Barbara Boxer’s Federal Grants and Resources Workshop in San Francisco on August 19th to learn about the federal funding and grants available to businesses. This was another outreach event the NCSDC was involved with that MILESTONE was able to benefit from.

Aida Johnson continues with, “It helps us differentiate ourselves from our competition because many organizations today are seeking to engage more MBEs in their contracts. Many clients have asked us about our certifications before deciding to pursue MILESTONE further as a supplier.”

NMSDC wrote, “In 2007, the largest U.S. corporations purchased more than $100 billion in goods and services supplied by MBEs. Now that sounds pretty good, but we’re ready for a lot more. Given the fact that minorities represent 15% of all businesses, 3% of gross receipts and only 4% of corporate purchases, much more must be done.”

ABOUT NORTHERN CALIFORNIA MINORITY SUPPLIER DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL – The Northern California Minority Supplier Development Council (NCMSDC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting diversity in the marketplace. NCMSDC is a national organization made up of 37 regional councils with a combined constituency of over 15,000 certified MBE suppliers and 3,500 corporate members, including most of America's largest publicly-owned, privately-owned, and foreign-owned companies, as well as universities, hospitals, and other buying institutions. Their vision is to promote and advance minority supplier development by being the premiere organization in the Northern California/Hawaii region that connects MBEs with corporate members committed to supplier diversity. For additional information, visit www.ncsdc.org.

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