FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Virginia Names Leading Staffing, Consulting Firm

As “Women’s Business Enterprise”

WASHINGTON, DC. Sept. 30 – Although government and corporate procurement officers increasingly seek greater supplier diversity, the number and variety of programs supporting women- and minority-owned firms can confuse the vetting process. To clarify the issue, VIP Staffing and its consulting and training division VIP Innovations have sought and received certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) by Virginia’s Department of Business Assistance (DBA).

The WBE certification program was launched in 1993, in response to demands from women’s organizations and procurement professionals, to accurately identify and support women-owned companies. The program dovetails with Governor Mark Warner’s July 2002 Executive Order 29 regarding Equal Opportunity in State Procurement.

“It is a testament to women’s progress in the marketplace that WBE members number in the hundreds, not just the dozens,” says VIP Innovations founder Eva A. Jenkins. “However, given the alphabet soup of acronyms and frequent overuse of the word “diversity,” it’s important to help businesses independently verify that particular companies are truly ‘woman owned.’ I’m both proud and excited to have received this certification.”

Virginia WBE members must be located in Virginia; be at least 51% owned by a woman or women; perform day-to-day operations under the direction of women owners; and demonstrate that control of the company is real and continuing. To qualify, firms must also be independently owned, and may not be a branch or subsidiary of a foreign corporation. Most WBE members provide business-to-business products and services to state government and private sector companies.