We are excited to announce that SweetGrass Trading Company has received a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Certification from the Mountain Plains Minority Supplier Development Council (MPMSDC).
What is the MBE Certification?
The MBE Certification is awarded to businesses with at least 51 percent ownership by a minority group or individual, including United States citizens who are Asian-Indian, Asian-Pacific, Black, Hispanic and/or Native American.
SweetGrass Trading Company is part of Ho-Chunk Trading Group, a division of Ho-Chunk, Inc., the economic development arm of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.
To become certified, applicants must submit a detailed application and upload business documents that show that the company meets the MBE requirements. The applicant must also complete an in-depth interview and site visit with an MPMSDC Certification Specialist and be approved by the committee and board members. The certification is good for one year and can be renewed every year if a business continues to meet the certification requirements.
What is the Mountain Plains Minority Supplier Development Council (MPMSDC)?
The MPMSDC is one of 23 regional councils and serves Colorado, Kansas, Western Missouri, and Nebraska. According to the organization’s website, “The mission of the Mountain Plains Minority Supplier Development Council is to provide Corporate America and Government entities with greater access to the goods and services of Minority-owned business in order to develop lasting and mutually beneficial business relationships.”
The MPMSDC connects minority-owned businesses, both big and small, with Corporate America . There are currently more than 500 minority-owned businesses certified with the National Minority Supplier Development Council. Through the council’s extensive certification process, Corporate Member support, free networking events, educational programs, and supplier diversity initiatives, the MPMSDC strives to develop minority-owned businesses to their full potential.
What does this mean for SweetGrass and the Native businesses we work with?
SweetGrass will now have various opportunities to be involved in educational programs plus a wide range of networking opportunities with other minority businesses as well as corporate members. The certification provides exposure to 13,000 other minority businesses across the United States to engage in business opportunities and form partnering relationship, strategic alliances or joint ventures for success.
“We are excited to be part of the MPMSDC network,” Adam Bowen, director of SweetGrass Trading said. “These networking opportunities will provide avenues to grow and learn for both SweetGrass and the Native vendors we work with.”
Additional information and sources:
https://nmsdc.org/mbes/mbe-benefits/
https://nmsdc.org/mbes/mbe-programs-services/