14th Annual MED Week Awards to be Held on March 18

Los Angeles, CA, March 05, 2009 --(PR.com)-- On Wednesday, March 18, The 14th Annual MED Week Awards Ceremony and Networking Luncheon will take place at the newly opened L.A. LIVE Entertainment Complex in downtown Los Angeles from 10 am to 2 pm. The MED Week Awards program will celebrate the outstanding achievements of minority entrepreneurs.

The theme of this year’s event is “Launching Green on the Global Scene” which emphasizes efficiency, environmentally responsible products and services and sustainability in a global marketplace. "With so much turmoil in the financial markets, MED Week offers us the opportunity to reinforce our small businesses - the very foundation of our economic vitality," Mayor Villaraigosa said. "This year is a turning point for our economy and our environment. The choices we make will redefine the local landscape for the next generation, and we must ensure that green growth and sustainable development become the watchwords of our economic future."

National MED Week was designated by Presidential Proclamation in 1983. It recognizes and promotes the Nation's minority-owned business enterprises and their supporters. The City of Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), the Los Angeles Minority Business Opportunity Center (LAMBOC) and the US Small Business Administration (SBA) are jointly coordinating the 14th Annual Los Angeles MED Week Awards program.

As part of the MED Week Awards, the SBA will present the District 8(a) Small Business Person of the Year and the 8(a) Graduate Firm of the Year awards. “We are extremely proud of our MED Week award winners,” said Alberto G. Alvarado, Los Angeles SBA District Director. “We congratulate their efforts and commitment to reach the top of their fields and to serve the communities in which they live, work and play. The continued success of these entrepreneurs and their respective businesses is a local economic multiplier, and I am eager to thank them for all they have accomplished.”

This year’s award recipients are:

LAMBOC

Construction Firm of the Year Gerald Schneiderman, Toshio Kato, Alberto G. Makabali

Hilrock Corp

Construction Developer of the Year Samir Srivastava, ABS Properties

Housing Construction Project of the Year Pastor Leslie R. White and Chris R. Jordan, Grant Housing and Economic Development Corporation

Green Firm of the Year Masoud and Carmen Rad, CR & A Custom

Manufacturer Firm of the Year Raúl and Gloria Andrade, Los Altos Food Products Inc

Technology Firm of the Year Ruma Poulsen, Third Millennium Business Systems

Service Firm of the Year Tracy Stanhoff, Ad Pro

Distributor Firm of the Year Ken Lively, Bulb Star

Media Firm of the Year Nelson Davis, Nelson Productions

Director’s Award of the Year Robert S. Zamarripa, One Source Distributors

Top Business Advocate of the Year Albert Gomez, Growth Capital Management, Inc.

SBA

District 8(a) Small Business Person of the Year Jeff Ploutz, J&P Construction, Inc.

8(a) Graduate of the Year Phil Ramos Jr., Philatron Wire & Cable

Community Advocate Maria Contreras-Sweet, PROMÉRICA BANK

Media Advocate Nelson Davis, Nelson Davis Television Productions

Technical Assistance Advocate Jocelyn A. Cotlon, The Legal Resolution Corp.

Top Lender Antonio Zate, Wells Fargo Bank

Top Lending Advocate Brian Carlson, Excel National Bank

Top Lending Advocate David Mellman, USC Credit Union

Dynamic Markets Leading Lender Young Ho Won, Innovative Bank

This event is made possible by the partnerships of AEG, Metropolitan Water District, California Credit Union, Los Angeles World Airports, The Disney Company Supplier Diversity and Development, Los Angeles Metro Transportation (METRO), Turner Construction, Wells Fargo, Stellar Business Bank, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), Excel Bank, First Choice Bank, Small Business Development Center, Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment (PACE), Soulstice Marketing, Northrop Grumman, Nara Bank, USC Credit Union, and the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles.

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