Good Work Network recognizes Port NOLA procurement team

NEW ORLEANS—May 17, 2019—The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) received the Equity Ally Award recognizing the Port’s efforts to provide access to new opportunities for women and minority entrepreneurs. Tiffany Carter, Director of Procurement, accepted the award on behalf of Port NOLA at the Good Work Network’s annual meeting Friday, May 17 at Audubon Zoo.

“The Port of New Orleans strives to be inclusive working with and promoting local and small businesses while growing the global economy through our gateway,” said Brandy D. Christian, President and CEO of Port NOLA and CEO of New Orleans Public Belt Railroad (NOPB). “This award validates the success of our procurement department’s initiatives such as the Small Business Contracting Program, and it allows us to continue to move forward in the right direction.”

The Port’s Small Business Contracting Program is designed to develop mutually valuable professional relationships with local and small businesses to increase the number of small businesses, including minority-owned, women-owned, disadvantaged firms and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses applying and competing for Port contracts.

During fiscal years 2016 through 2018, more than $6 million was spent with minority- and women-owned businesses. During the current fiscal year, Port NOLA has already spent more than $5.6 million in small business contracts.

As a part of the Port’s procurement objectives, the team continues to increase the proportion of funds spent with qualified local and small business firms in construction, professional services, and goods and services.

“The inclusion, growth and promotion of minority- and women-owned businesses is one of my personal commitments and priorities that is shared by the entire Board of Commissioners,” said Arnold Baker, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans.

“The generation of small business wealth creates a greater number of personal options; which makes individuals more apt to make better personal decisions; which in turn leads to larger and more frequent personal successes diminishing socio-economic initiated challenges reflected by acts of crime, abuse and hopelessness. Local and small businesses are a critical part of creating economic vitality in the region and of our success to keep Port NOLA competitive and strong.”

“We know that strong economies are inclusive economies,” said Good Work Executive Director Hermione Malone in a letter to Port NOLA. “Organizations like the Port have made an evidenced commitment of that belief through proactive engagement with women- and minority-owned firms. The fruits of that work can be seen in contract opportunities awarded and growth in business revenues.”

Port of New Orleans is a modern multimodal gateway for global commerce and an in-demand cruise port —delivering seamless, integrated logistics solutions between river, rail and road.Port NOLA is a diverse deepwater port uniquely located on the Mississippi River near the Gulf of Mexico -- with access to 30-plus major inland hubs such as Memphis, Chicago and Canada via 14,500 miles of waterways, 6 Class I railroads and interstate roadways. The 2018 acquisition of New Orleans Public Belt Railroad, a Class III connecting railroad, strengthens Port NOLA’s position as an integrated hub and supports the Port’s mission of driving regional economic prosperity.