Kansas Department of Commerce accepting nominations for Minority Enterprise Development Week awards

TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of Commerce Office of Minority and Women Business Development is accepting nominations for Kansas minority and/or women-owned businesses, advocates, young entrepreneurs, and corporations. These nominations celebrate National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week, October 14-20, 2018. Nominees and winners will be recognized at the annual Kansas Minority and Women Business Awards Luncheon to be held on October 11, 2018, at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Topeka.

“Minority and women-owned businesses are essential drivers of our Kansas economy, and this special awards ceremony will honor the tremendous accomplishments of these amazing entrepreneurs in our state,” said Robert North, Interim Secretary for the Kansas Department of Commerce.
The deadline to nominate a business or individual is June 15, 2018. Online nomination forms can be accessed at KansasCommerce.gov/MEDweek.

The 2017 award winners included:

Kansas Women-Owned Businesses
MySmartPlans – Kansas City (Construction Firm)
Advanced Welding Technologies, LLC – Wichita (Manufacturing Firm)
FSC, Inc.- Overland Park (Professional Service Firm)
Toronto Lumber Company – Toronto (Retail Firm)
Sage Restoration LLC – Overland Park (Service Industry Firm)
International Express Trucking, Inc. – Kansas City (Supplier/Distributor Firm)

Kansas Minority-Owned Businesses
Recyclable Materials Relocating, LLC – Kansas City (Construction Firm)
Quik Tek Machining, LLC – Wichita (Manufacturing Firm)
LaborMax Staffing KC Metro – Kansas City (Professional Service Firm)
Paleterias Tropicanas – Kansas City (Retail Firm)
Project Fitness LLC DBA Project Fitness CrossFit – Garden City (Service Industry Firm)
Sarin Energy Solutions – Overland Park (Supplier/Distributor Firm)

Minority Business Advocate
Sandra Olivas, Bank of Labor – Kansas City

Women Business Advocate
Debra Kunz, Center for Deliberate Growth™ – Mission

Young Entrepreneur
Paul Kaster, Crooked Branch Studio – Leawood

Corporation of the Year
Textron Aviation – Wichita

About the Kansas Department of Commerce Office of Minority and Women Business Development

The Office of Minority and Women Business Development provides assistance in business management, identifying resources for financing and establishing contacts in the public and private sectors. The office is responsible for certifying minority- and women-owned businesses as small disadvantaged businesses for procurement and subcontracting opportunities.