HispanicBusiness

Despite a lackluster holiday shopping season, retailing has emerged as a sector to watch. Large-scale retailers in particular have proven their mettle as hotbeds of economic activity.

Many such retailers have ambitious minority contracting programs. Staples, for instance, recently announced a program to help Fortune 1000 and other large firms reach their purchasing goals from minority- and women-owned business enterprise suppliers. The company worked with the National Minority Supplier Development Council and local councils to develop the program, whose charter first-tier partners include Proftech Office Products and Tejas Office Products. Those companies were ranked number 222 and number 323, respectively, on last year's Hispanic Business 500®.

But contracting opportunities with the likes of Costco and Staples aren't limited to large and mid-size firms. Dynamic Quest, a computer services firm based in Greensboro, North Carolina, has successfully sought work with Staples, for example.

Dynamic Quest is among the companies featured on the RedWire Diversity E-Business Network (www.hispanicbusiness.com/esource), a purchasing collective and database containing information on more than 2,500 Hispanic-owned companies.

The companies listed below have provided contact information for contract solicitations. Interested minority vendors should direct their inquiries accordingly.

PROCUREMENT CONTACTS

COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP.
Corporate Office
Vendor Inquiries
P.O. Box 34331
Issaquah, WA 98027
www.costco.com

FEDERATED DEPARTMENT STORES INC.
Merchandising Group
11 Penn Plaza
New York, NY 10001
(212) 494-6000
www.fds.com/home.asp

FOOTLOCKER INC.
Larry Rinaldo
Director of Purchasing
Minority Vendor Program
112 W. 34th Street
New York, NY 10120
(212) 720-3700
Fax: (212) 720-4649
www.footlocker.com

KMART CORP.
Supplier Diversity/Minority Dept.
3100 West Big Beaver Road
Troy, MI 48084
(248) 463-5238
www.kmartcorp.com/corp/business/vendor

OFFICE DEPOT
Vendor Diversity
2200 Old Germantown Road
MC 32B3050
Delray Beach, FL 33445
(561) 438-0350
vendordiversity@officedepot.com
www.officedepot.com/companyinfo/companyfacts/vendordiversityprogram.asp

PAYLESS SHOE SOURCE
Tim Devine
Director, Purchasing Minority- & Women-Owned Business Program
3231 SE Sixth Avenue
Topeka, KS 66607
(785) 233-5171 ext. 6082
Fax: (785) 295-6655
tim_devine@paylessshoesource.com
www.paylessshoesource.com

PIER 1 IMPORTS
Merchandising Department
P.O. Box 961020
Fort Worth, TX 76161
(817) 252-6666
Fax: (817) 252-5727
www.pier1.com

SEARS, ROEBUCK AND CO.
Supplier Diversity Office
Department 707D B5-249B
3333 Beverly Road
Hoffman Estates, IL 60179
www.sears.com

STAPLES
Jim Dorman
Vice-President of Marketing
Staples Contract
(877) 253-9088, ext. 33964
www.staplescentral.com/mwbe.asp

TJX COMPANIES INC.
Virginia Nelson
Manager, Community Relations
770 Cochituate Road
Framingham, MA 01701
(508) 390-2467
www.tjx.com

WAL-MART
Supplier Development
Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
702 SW 8th Street
Bentonville, AR 72716
www.walmart.com