Minority business opportunities: Resource Portal rates IBM and DoD best for multicultural firms. (Small Business News).The IBM (International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, www.ibm.com) The world's largest computer company. IBM's product lines include the S/390 mainframes (zSeries), AS/400 midrange business systems (iSeries), RS/6000 workstations and servers (pSeries), Intel-based servers (xSeries) Corp. and the Department of Defense (DoD) are the top organizations when it comes to providing minority business opportunities, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a 2002 survey conducted by Div2000.com, a resource portal for small businesses and large organizational buyers such as corporations and government agencies. Produced and sponsored by Computer Consulting Associates International Inc. (CCAii), an information technology professional services (job) professional services - A department of a supplier providing consultancy and programming manpower for the supplier's products. firm in Southport, Connecticut Connecticut, state, United States Connecticut (kənĕt`ĭkət), southernmost of the New England states of the NE United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts (N), Rhode Island (E), Long Island Sound (S), and New York (W). , the rankings were tabulated from an online survey where 150,000 minority business owners cast a single vote for the corporation or government agency they felt offered the best opportunities for minority-owned firms. The lists are comprised of Fortune 500 companies and government agencies. Also on the 2002 Div2000.com list are Wal-Mart Stores, Lockheed Martin For the former company, see . Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is a leading multinational aerospace manufacturer and advanced technology company formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta. , SBC (1) (SBC Communications Inc., San Antonio, TX, www.sbc.com) A large, national telecommunications company that grew from a multitude of local and regional companies, including Southwestern Bell, Pacific Bell and Nevada Bell, into a single, unified brand by 2002. Communications, and Boeing. Government agencies included the Small Business Administration, Minority Business Development Agency, U.S. Postal Service The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) processes and delivers mail to individuals and businesses within the United States. The service seeks to improve its performance through the development of efficient mail-handling systems and operates its own planning and engineering programs. , and the Department of Transportation. The Department of Defense came in at No. 1 on the 2001 ranking, while IBM ranked No. 6. One survey participant who works solely with large corporations is Wayne McCray, president of Axiom axiom, in mathematics and logic, general statement accepted without proof as the basis for logically deducing other statements (theorems). Examples of axioms used widely in mathematics are those related to equality (e.g. Consulting L.L.C. in Endicott, New York Endicott is a village in Broome County, New York, United States. The population was 13,038 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Henry B. Endicott, a founding member of the Endicott Johnson Corporation shoe manufacturing company, who founded the community as the "'Home of . McCray says he's been working with companies like IBM since he opened the doors to his 90-employee, managed procurement The fancy word for "purchasing." The procurement department within an organization manages all the major purchases. services firm in November 2001. McCray says he's not surprised by IBM's ranking, and credits Big Blue with helping Axiom get its foot in the door at other Fortune 500 firms. In early 2002, McCray visited with one of IBM's procurement managers and simply "registered as a supplier." Within a few months, IBM and Axiom formed a strategic partnership to market IBM-Axiom joint services to other companies, primarily black businesses. "We've been selling to Fortune 500 companies right out of the box and IBM has been exceptionally good," says McCray, adding that large corporations seek out vendors with solid management teams, solid business plans, and a large presence. McCray says having a business partner like IBM is extremely helpful in securing large contracts. McCray's next project: getting his foot in the door at government agencies. For that he'll be registering for his 8(a) certification and paying close attention to those agencies that rank high on Div2000.com's government ranking. The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA MBDA Minority Business Development Agency (US Department of Commerce) MBDA Michigan Broadband Development Authority MBDA Minnesota Band Directors Association MBDA Matra BAE Dynamics Alenia MBDA Magnolia Ballroom Dancers' Association ), headquartered in Washington, D.C., is one such agency. MBDA aids the establishment and growth of minority-owned businesses in America, offering business counseling and program services. In 2001, MBDA's 35 nationwide business development centers helped minority-owned firms find $350 million in procurement opportunities, according to Selma Sierra, assistant director of operations for the agency. Sierra says MBDA's third-place ranking on the Div2000.com list validates the impact the agency is having on the minority-owned businesses it was created to serve. "We're definitely making an impact and this proves it," says Sierra, who advises minority-owned businesses to tap into other lists like the ones on Div2000.com to ferret out Verb 1. ferret out - search and discover through persistent investigation; "She ferreted out the truth" ferret discover, find - make a discovery; "She found that he had lied to her"; "The story is false, so far as I can discover" opportunities with companies where other minority-owned firms have already succeeded. "Through a list like this, minority-owned businesses can easily find out which entities can offer them the best opportunities and go after them."
TOP 20x2
Top Organizations for Multicultural Opportunities
MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
(1) IBM (1) Department of Defense
(2) Wal-Mart Stores (2) Small Business Administration
(3) Lockheed Martin (3) Minority Business Development Agency
(4) SBC Communications (4) U.S. Postal Service
(5) Boeing (5) Department of Transportation
(6) Dell Computer (6) U.S. Army
(7) General Electric (7) Department of Health and Human
Services
(8) Microsoft Corp. (8) Department of Housing and Urban
Development
(9) Northrop Grumman (9) Department of Education
(10) Verizon (10) General Services Administration
(11) Boise Cascade (11) Defense Logistics Agency
(12) Johnson & Johnson (12) Department of Energy
(13) United Parcel Service (13) National Aeronautics and Space
Administration
(14) Bank of America Corp. (14) U.S. Air Force
(15) Exxon Mobil (15) Department of Agriculture
(16) Hewlett-Packard (16) Department of Veterans Affairs
(17) Wells Fargo (17) Department of Commerce
(18) Pepsico (18) U.S. Navy
(19) American Express (19) Department of Interior
(20) AT&T (20) Department of Justice
SOURCE: DIV2000.COM
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