11.01.2007 - 03:55pm ET

(CSRwire) MIAMI, FL - November 1, 2007 - The National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) recognized United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS)with its prestigious "Corporation of the Year" Award on October 31, at the 35th anniversary Awards Gala capping its annual conference. The award recognizes the company's exemplary achievements in the area of minority business development.

NMSDC's Corporation of the Year award is regarded as the most significant honor to a major corporation for the utilization of Asian, Black, Hispanic and Native American suppliers. In winning the award, UPS demonstrated exceptional strength in areas critical to maintaining a solid minority supplier development process.

In 2006, UPS increased its spend with minority businesses to $341 million, an 82 percent increase over its 2005 spend. The company contracted with 1,342 certified first-tier MBEs in 2006. Additionally, UPS unbundled large contracts to provide more opportunities for minority businesses and increased business opportunities in non-traditional areas such as asset management.

UPS participates in NMSDC's Centers of Excellence to assist MBEs in building capacity to do business with more large corporations. UPS also supports scholarships and executive education for minority business owners.

"UPS has a comprehensive minority supplier development process that truly reflects the company's commitment to doing business with minority businesses," said NMSDC President Harriet R. Michel. "Their efforts consistently address the full spectrum of supplier development and are worthy of being modeled by others."

NMSDC also presented awards for individual leadership in minority supplier development, Suppliers of the Year and Regional Council of the Year.

Michael Robinson, director of Global Supplier Diversity at IBM Corporation, received the Minority Supplier Development Leader of the Year award in recognition of innovative supplier development activities and leadership across industry groups and around the country.

Four top minority businesses were recognized as national Suppliers of the Year for excellence in business acumen and community service. They are: JOBS Training and Placement, Los Angeles, California, in the category for businesses with sales less than $1 million; Metasys Technologies, Inc., Duluth, Georgia, among firms with $1 million to $10 million in sales; Eclaro International, New York, New York, for businesses with sales between $10 and $50 million; and Dakkota Integrated Systems, LLC, Holt, Michigan, for firms with sales greater than $50 million.

Twelve minority businesses were honored as regional "Suppliers of the Year." They are A.M. Ortega Construction, Inc., Lakeside, California; Carrco Painting Contractors, Garland, Texas; Carter Brothers, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia; The Champion Services Group, Inc., Miami, Florida; C.W.D. Designs, Inc., Southfield, Michigan; Cybernet System Management, Inc., Schaumburg, Illinois; Devon Industrial Group, Detroit, Michigan; LaVERDAD Marketing & Media, Cincinnati, Ohio; Light Speed, LLC, Hamden Connecticut; Ruiz Foods, Inc., Dinuba, California; The Specialized Packaging Group, Inc., Hamden, Connecticut; and ZeroChaos, Orlando, Florida.

The Michigan Minority Business Development Council earned Council of the Year honors for providing stellar services to hundreds of corporations and minority businesses in the state of Michigan.

IBM received a Special Appreciation Award for their long-standing support of NMSDC's international programs and their commitment to helping minority businesses compete in the global economy. Since the launch of the organization's international program six years ago, IBM has consistently supported the initiative with direct financial support and participation in NMSDC's matchmaking business opportunity missions in Brazil, Canada, China, South Africa and the United Kingdom.

About NMSDC

Providing a direct link between corporate America and minority-owned businesses is the primary objective of the National Minority Supplier Development Council, one of the country's leading business membership organizations. It was chartered in 1972 to provide increased procurement and business opportunities for minority businesses of all sizes.

The NMSDC Network includes a national office in New York and 39 Regional Councils across the country. There are 3,500 corporate members throughout the network, including America's top publicly-owned, privately-owned and foreign- owned companies as well as universities, hospitals and other buying institutions. The Regional Councils certify and match more than 15,000 minority-owned businesses with member corporations that want to purchase their goods and services.

For more information about NMSDC, call (212) 944-2430 or visit the Website at www.nmsdc.org.

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