Senator Tim Scott urges continued support for minority business owners
July 24, 2017
DESA, Inc. announced that U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) has shown his support of minority business owners by officially requesting full funding for the Minority Business Development Agency.
In a letter to Senator Richard Shelby, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies and Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, Scott reached across party-lines to partner with U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) in urging the continued advocacy and support of the agency. “Given the specific needs and challenges facing minority-owned businesses, we urge you to allow the MBDA to continue its essential work,” the letter states.
Senator Scott, who built one of the most successful Allstate agencies in South Carolina prior to his Senate appointment, has been a long-time supporter of the MBDA. More than 10 years ago, he worked with the Columbia office, which provides services statewide, to make sure its clients were appropriately insured.
Today, Senator Scott continues to advocate for minority business owners through his service on the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship and by supporting constituents directly.
Diane Sumpter, president and CEO of DESA, Inc., which operates the Columbia MBDA Business Center, says that MBDA is vital to America’s economic growth and job creation. “Minorities are the fastest growing segment of the US population. This means within the next two decades, America’s prosperity will rely even more on minorities. Entrepreneurship has proven to be one of the most successful methods for minorities, who traditionally do not benefit from generational wealth, to create wealth and contribute to a thriving national economy. MBDA helps minority businesses realize their true growth potential, which allows them to create more jobs and employ more of the community. That’s why support from Senator Scott and others who can help us move the needle is so important,” she says.
The MBDA Business Center – Columbia, SC is one of the nation’s longest-running and most successful Centers. It has achieved over $85 billion in contracts and procurements with an ROI on taxpayer’s investment of 249 percent in 2015 and ROI of 487 percent in 2016.
About DESA, Inc.
Founded by Diane E. Sumpter in 1986, DESA, Inc. has been exceeding client expectations for more than 30 years. The company is a certified small, woman and minority-owned firm, offering services through four different divisions: Professional & Administrative Services; Strategic Marketing & Communications; Construction Management and Engineering Services, and Global Business Services. Local and national clients include city, county, state and federal governments, non-profit agencies and private sector organizations. Complete information on DESA can be found by visiting DESAInc.com.
