Minority Business Award Winners Announced at Marketplace 2009 Reception
The Department of Commerce honored four Wisconsin companies and named the winners of the Outstanding Business (large and small company) Award, Rising Star Award and Good Citizen award at a special reception on Tuesday, September 15th at the Country Springs Hotel and Convention Center, Pewaukee.
The four awards are made to Wisconsin-based ethnic minority businesses (as defined by the State of Wisconsin) that are organized for-profit.
The Marketplace 2009 award winners are:
Outstanding Business – Large Company Award Winner
(more than 25 employees)
Mantz Automation, Inc.: Denise Mantz, President, and
Robert Mantz, Vice President, Hartford
- Runner-ups: Market Probe, Inc.: T. R. Rao, President and CEO, Milwaukee and DAAR Engineering: Abdulhamid Ali, President, and Frank D’ Amato, Milwaukee
Watch the finalists talk about their businesses.
Outstanding Business – Small Company Award Winner (less
than 25 employees)
HiTech Integrated Solutions, LLC: Seaphes Miller,
Managing Member, Milwaukee
- Runner-ups: Superior Support Resources, Inc., Sarit Singhal, President and CEO, Brookfield and MSI Data Systems: Jo Ann Kraninger, Vice President, Mequon
Watch the finalists talk about their businesses.
The Outstanding Business Awards recognizes an established minority enterprise that demonstrates overall experience on company history, product, sales and market impact, customer service, employment and management dimensions.
Rising Star - Winner
Oneida Total Integrated Enterprises: Nick Ni, PE,
Director, De Pere
- Runner-ups: MARS IT Corporation: Rashi Arora, President, Wauwatosa and Global Refractory Installers and Suppliers: Lynn Piwonski, Chief Financial Officer, Edward Piwonski, President, and Scott Harmsen, Vice President, Green Bay
Watch the finalists talk about their businesses.
The Rising Star Award recognizes an emerging minority business that shows great promise as an innovator, either by virtue of its product or service offering, or shows promise of strong competitive advantage and growth because of its business model.
Good Citizen Award Winner
Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan: Gerardo Gonzalez,
Managing Partner, Milwaukee
- Runner-ups: Multicultural Enterpreneurship Institute, Inc.: Nelson Soler, Chief Solutions Officer, Milwaukee, and Dairyland Electric, Christopher Martinez, President, Butler
Watch the finalists talk about their businesses.
The Good Citizen Award recognizes a minority business that has made and continues to make a positive contribution to society and its community.
The Department of Commerce also paid special recognition by presenting the Community Economic Development Award to Maria Monreal-Cameron, President and CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin for her dedication to directing positive change and expanded opportunities to enhance the quality of life in the community.
The award winners in each category were honored at the September 16, 2009 Governor’s Conference on Minority Business Development luncheon. In addition to the presentation of these awards at the luncheon, the following special recognition awards were made.
The Wisconsin Department of Administration presented the following award to a company that excels at managing the development process incorporating renovation and new construction projects.
Wisconsin State
Procurement Excellence in Construction Award
B&D Contractors, Inc., Brian P. Holmes, Owner and member of Bad
River Band of Chippewa Indians
The Small Business Administration recognized the accomplishments of the following businesses by presenting the following awards:
2009 Minority Small Business Champion
Wallace White, W2Excel, LLC
2009 Minority Small Business Person
Jorge Lopez, Nuvo Construction Company
