Mind Safety Management Honored As A St. Louis' "Top 25" Businesses
November 13, 2008
For the ninth consecutive year, the St. Louis American Foundation, St. Louis RCGA, and the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis will honor the area's Top 25 African-American Businesses. Mind Safety Management (MSM), an MBE hubZone enterprise, will be one of the businesses honored at their Salute to Excellence in Business Awards & Networking Luncheon, Thursday, November 13th, at Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark.
"We at MSM, are very proud to receive this recognition for our community efforts and business activities, " said CEO Peter Jones. "Not only are we committed to providing outstanding services to our clients, but we do so with an intent to create jobs as part of the St. Louis business community's economic revitalization initiatives", he said.
"MBEs are an important part of the total economic development picture and tend to hire minorities," said James Webb, President of the St. Louis Minority Business Council, expressing his view on the importance of Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) for the region. "They are vital to the region," he stated succinctly.
With more than one million African American-owned businesses in the United States, generating over $100 billion in annual sales, this business vitality is further exemplified by the fact that African-Americans are 50 percent more likely than their white counterparts to start their own business. In addition, 86 percent of African-American teens polled by Junior Achievement expressed interest in starting a business.
Further, African-American women are making great strides in entrepreneurship. Two in five (40%) of all African American-owned firms are owned by women. These firms employ 31.5% of the workers in African American-owned firms while generating 20.4% of the sales.
In St. Louis, entrepreneurship in the African-American community is alive and well.
This year's Top 25 African-American Businesses are:
- Ability Building & Restoration
- ABNA Engineering
- AfroWorld International
- AFRAM Corp.
- Andy's Seasoning
- Banks and Associates
- BRK Electrical Contractors
- Brown Kortkamp
- Capital International Communications
- David Mason & Associates
- FUSE
- Interface Construction
- KAI Design & Build
- Kwame Building Group
- Legacy Building Group
- Mary One Johnson Home Team Realty
- Mind Safety Management
- Professional Environmental Engineers
- The Roberts Companies
- Sharks & Sharks General Contractors
- T.A.B. Co., Inc.
- TSi Engineering
- World Wide Technology.
"Being recognized as one of the top 25 minority-owned firms in the St. Louis region is truly an honor," said MSM COO Ralph Thompson. "It is truly rewarding to know that what we do everyday achieves two goals which are very important to us: excellence in our service to clients, while helping to better and improve the community in which we work. To me, there is nothing better than that," he said.
The 9th Annual Salute to Excellence in Business Awards & Networking Luncheon is presented by the St. Louis American Foundation, the RCGA and the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis. This year's theme is "Getting Connected." Tickets are $75 each or a table of 10 for $750 for General Seating, and $100 each or a table of 10 for $1,000 for VIP/Preferred Seating. For tickets and information, call 314-533-8000. Tickets can also be purchased online at stlamerican.com.