We Do 3 Things… Certify Connect Develop

About Us

The Southwest Minority Supplier Development Council (SMSDC) is the minority business owner’s direct link to corporate America.

In 2007, the largest US corporations purchased more than $100 Billion in goods and services supplied by minority-owned enterprises (MBEs) certified by the 37 regionally-affiliated councils of the National Minority Supplier Development Council. Over $301 Million was spent in the SMSDC service area alone!

SMSDC has offices in Austin, San Antonio, Harlingen and El Paso. Our service area extends from Austin, San Antonio and the Rio Grande Valley along the Texas / Mexican border toward Laredo / Eagle Pass-Del Rio, Midland / Odessa, and back to El Paso.

Mission Statement

To create opportunities and an environment for minority business enterprises to grow, and to actively add value for corporate members through positive business relationships.

Vision Statement

A best-in-class organization with financial strength, the respect and engagement of stakeholders, leadership, and program excellence.

Certify

SMSDC certification offers many benefits to Minority Business Enterprises:

Access to corporate buyers, sourcing opportunities, business development programs and supplier diversity champions.
Automatic HUB Certification for Texas-based MBEs.
Marketing and networking events.
Extensive array of educational seminars, workshops, and capacity-building techniques conducted by national experts.
Expansion of your marketing efforts through local and national databases

When a minority company becomes certified with any Texas business council, then that company automatically becomes State of Texas HUB certified. SMSDC uploads their information into the state’s HUB list – at no additional cost.

Connect

We connect your business with corporations to develop strong business relationships through cutting edge business opportunity seminars and networking events throughout Southwest Texas. Your business will have the opportunity to connect with corporate buyers, procurement officers, contracting agents and supplier diversity experts, locally and nationally.

Develop

SMSDC will provide education to navigate complex corporate cultures and provide opportunities for your business to grow and expand your product or service offerings. Educational seminars and workshops feature subject-matter experts presenting real world case studies to empower you with industry best practices.

Corporate Membership

SMSDC connects corporations with minority-owned businesses to expand the supply chain and build healthy business relationships.

We achieve this by assisting you with the implementation of corporate supplier diversity plans. This service includes training on how to meet company diversity goals, and report the success of your program to customers. C-Suite level corporate educational programs are popular throughout the NMSDC network. Many events conducted for corporations offer CPM credits.

We schedule on-site meetings where we facilitate collaboration between internal divisions of a corporation, clarify your short and long-term needs, make direct MBE connections, and plan events to communicate your diverse needs to targeted markets. We offer many opportunities for one-on-one time with MBEs and other corporate members to communicate your needs and build relationships.
Your corporation gains exclusive access to hundreds of nationally certified MBEs that provide innovative quality products and services that are priced competitively and delivered on time. Your active membership will help to build brand loyalty for your organization among both MBEs and fellow SMSDC Corporate Members.

About the Quick Response Team

Customer service is our top priority.

Our SMSDC QUICK RESPONSE provides you with a list of certified suppliers swiftly. We connect corporate purchasing agents and key personnel in other departments with qualified minority-owned enterprises (MBEs) to accelerate the bid process for both small and large request-for-proposals (RFPs). Corporations benefit from SMSDC’s relationship with its MBEs and our in-depth knowledge
of each of their qualifications to match the specific bid requirements.

We reach beyond the boundaries of Texas and connect corporations with MBEs doing business along the entire border of Texas and Mexico. We connect you with US-based MBEs and facilitate corporate operations in Mexico.