Minority businesses are playing an integral part in keeping the “Made in America” product strong as the U.S. manufacturing sector continues to rise.  Minority-owned manufacturing firms employ 342,000 workers and have recently grown faster than their non-minority counterparts in three areas—number of firms, employees and gross receipts.

The Minority Business Development Agency’s (MBDA) increased focus on manufacturers over the past few years is producing results.  Just in the last three years, MBDA has facilitated more than $3.3 billion in contracts for minority-owned manufacturing firms, making manufacturing one of the top industries for MBDA clients.

A good example of this is 127 Summit Holdings in Atlanta, Georgia. When 127 Summit Holdings acquired Summit Container, new owner and CEO Adam Walker reached out to the Atlanta MBDA Business Center to assist with all the transition associated with the acquisition. Since the acquisition, Mr. Walker has implemented a growth strategy focused on technology, innovation, and new market expansion to accelerate the growth of Summit Container. In doing so, revenue continues to grow and five additional jobs have been created.

The Atlanta MBDA Business Center has been an integral part of the company’s growth and development and serves as a trusted advisor to Mr. Walker and his team. The Atlanta MBDA Business Center has assisted 127 Summit Holdings through the merger and acquisition by providing a transition plan; exposing the CEO and company leadership to resources at Federal National Laboratories and at Georgia Tech; and offering market research for sales lead generation. The Center also helped the company secure a scholarship to travel to South Africa for the South African Automotive Trade Show to explore opportunities for doing business in Africa.   According to Mr. Walker, “The Atlanta MBDA Business Center has been a tremendous asset to me and my team.  They serve as a gateway to numerous access points that help grow our business.”

MBDA is very proud of the tremendous achievements of minority-owned manufacturing businesses like 127 Summit Holdings that help grow the national economy.