Governor Proclaims Minority Enterprise Development Month 2022

WHEREAS, diverse entrepreneurship encourages progress toward innovative solutions for economic growth and stability, and supports the promise of thriving communities that embrace inclusion and a better life for all families; and

WHEREAS, the state of North Carolina recognizes minority-owned businesses as key drivers of economic success at the national, state, and local level; according to the United States Census Bureau, there are more than 183,000 minority-owned businesses in North Carolina which realize more than $16.1 billion in sales each year; and

WHEREAS, to support post-pandemic recovery efforts, the North Carolina Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) increased the number of federal, state, and local contracts awarded to minority businesses, closing the 2021-2022 fiscal year with over $21 million in contracts awarded and over 450 jobs sustained and/or created; and

WHEREAS, the North Carolina Department of Administration’s Office for Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB) distributed more than $37 million to minority-owned businesses through the RETOOLNC small business grant program, administered in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), North Carolina Institute of Minority Economic Development and the Carolina Small Business Development Fund to aid the state’s HUB and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms post-pandemic; and

WHEREAS, due to statewide support, spending with HUB firms for building construction, goods, and services in the past fiscal year is the highest in 10 years; goods and services spending with HUB firms was over $648 million, an increase of over $400 million from Fiscal Year 12-13; building construction spending with HUB firms was over $213 million, an increase of over $143 million from Fiscal Year 12-13, and there has been an increase in 3,100 new HUB certifications since June 2017; in addition, there are more than 2,300 DBEs certified in North Carolina; and  

WHEREAS, NCDOT’s Office of Civil Rights has also been critical in advancing efforts to increase small, minority and women owned businesses through outreach, development, match making, and mentorship programs; the Office has utilized innovative strategies and federal grants for the On the Job Training program to develop and grow the workforce for transportation businesses across the state; and

WHEREAS, the State of North Carolina recognizes and celebrates the achievements of minority-owned businesses, and encourages participation in programs that honor the contributions of minority-owned businesses and impact the expansion of access to economic opportunity statewide;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim October, 2022, as “MINORITY ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT MONTH” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.