SCMBDC Honors "the Best of the Best" at 25th Annual Supplier of the Year Awards Luncheon July 9

LOS ANGELES--(Business Wire)--
Southern California Minority Business Development Council, the region`s leading
minority business advocacy organization, will be honoring outstanding minority
entrepreneurs at its 25th Annual Supplier of the Year Awards luncheon on July 9
at the Omni Los Angeles Hotel, located at 251 S. Olive St.

The event, which will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., celebrates the outstanding
performance of minority business enterprises (MBEs) in their contracts with
SCMBDC corporate members.

The keynote speaker will be Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., dean of Pepperdine
University Graziadio School of Business and Management. Maria Contreras-Sweet,
founder and chair of the board, Promerica Bank, will emcee the event.

This year, there are 47 award nominees employing nearly 12,500 people with gross
annual sales of approximately $214 billion.

"These nominees are what all business entrepreneurs should aspire to," according
to John W. Murray, Jr., president of the council. "They are successful because
they are highly capable individuals who work hard and deliver value to their
clients and the community. That is always important but never more so than
during these most challenging times."

Under the program, MBEs are judged on their demonstrated growth, development and
ability to create jobs; utilization of other MBEs; business performance in their
contracts, including providing quality products and services, cost savings and
innovative solutions; overcoming major obstacles and adversities, and community
involvement.

Only one winner is selected in each class category, based on annual sales of
less than $1 million (Class I), between $1 million and $10 million (Class II),
between $10 million and $50 million (Class III), and $50 million and greater
(Class IV). To be considered for an award, a minority business must be nominated
by an SCMBDC corporate member and certified as a minority business in good
standing by the council.

American Honda Motor Co., Inc. is this year`s title sponsor. Other sponsors to
date include: (platinum) BP; Hilton Hotels Corp.; Southern California Edison;
Southern California Gas Company; Toyota Motor Sales USA; (gold) Northrop Grumman
Corp., Walton Isaacson LLC; (silver) AEG; Alorica; APR Consulting, Inc.; Chevron
Corp.; FCI Management Consultants, Inc.; G&F Concrete Cutting, Inc.; Los Angeles
Department of Water & Power; Sustaining Resources, and The Walt Disney Company.

Twenty-one corporate members provided 2009 award nominations: AEG; American
Honda Motor Co., Inc.; Bank of America; BP; Chevron Corp.; Fluor; Hilton Hotels
Corp.; Johnson & Johnson; Los Angeles Department of Water & Power; Northrop
Grumman Corp.; Raytheon Company; Southern California Edison; Southern California
Gas Company; Sprint; University of Southern California; The Walt Disney Company;
Union Bank of California; US Bank; Volkswagen; Wachovia\Wells Fargo Bank, and
Walmart.

This year`s nominees include: AD-PRO; Nelson Davis Television Productions;
Southeast C&I Electric; The Baker Group; Quality General Engineering Inc.;
Sustaining Resources; Artcraft Bedspread; Banneker Industries Inc.; Best
Landscaping; Caraway & Cuckler Engineering Services, Inc.; Coast Aerospace Mfg;
Code Precast Products, Inc.; CR&A Custom; Elixir Technologies Corporation; G&F
Concrete Cutting, Inc.; Icon Blue, Inc.; Industry Color Printing; Kevcomp, Inc.;
Madison Paving; NK David Constructors; Osceola (Malikco); Precision Analytical,
Inc.; Project View, Inc.; Pro Tool Services, Inc.; Sensis; Sequoia Financial
Services; The Label Company; Torrez Trucking, Inc.; V.R. & Associates; Walton
Isaacson, LLC; A. M. Ortega Construction; AC Pipe & Equipment; Diverse Staffing
Solutions; EZ Data, Inc.; FCI Management Consultants, Inc.; Kenig Aerospace;
Manderee Enterprises Corp.; Pacific Rim Capital, Inc.; Philatron International;
RMI International, Inc.; T.J. Cross Engineers, Inc.; Alorica; APR Consulting,
Inc.; GeoLogics, Corp.; OneSource Distributors; SHI International, and Vizio,
Inc.

The National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) introduced the
Supplier of the Year program in 1981 as a way of measuring the success of
circulating corporate dollars into the minority business community. As an
affiliate of the national council, SCMBDC has participated in the program since
1985.

For information, tickets or sponsorship opportunities for the 2009 Supplier of
the Year awards luncheon, contact Shawn Smith at (213) 689-6940, or visit
www.scmbdc.org. Tickets will not be sold at the event.

About SCMBDC

Southern California Minority Business Development Council, the region`s leading
minority business advocacy organization, represents the interests of more than
600,000 minority businesses in its 13-county service area in Southern
California. In addition to serving certified minority businesses, the council
provides its nearly 200 corporate members access to qualified minority suppliers
representing highly diverse businesses, both in ethnicity and in products and
services. Headquartered in Los Angeles and one of 38 regional councils in the
National Minority Supplier Development Council network, its mission is "to
support and develop minority business enterprises to compete and succeed in the
open market." SCMBDC has made a positive impact in the minority business
community since its founding in 1975. For more information, visit www.scmbdc.org

SCMBDC
Vicki Cho Estrada, 661-255-8024
choestrada@earthlink.net
or
Virginia Gomez, 213-689-6965
vgomez@scmbdc.org

Copyright Business Wire 2009