UTC was recently named the 2008 Connecticut Minority Supplier Development Council (CMSDC) Corporation of the Year. UTC was chosen from a list of other renowned corporations such as ESPN/Disney, General Electric, IBM, Pitney Bowes and Turner Construction.

Nearly 700 people attended the award ceremony, including 50 attendees from UTC. The event took place on May 1 and the theme for this year’s banquet was, “Minority Business Development: Making Opportunities Reality.”

Carlton Oneal, chairperson of the Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Input Committee, presented the award to Jothi Purushotaman, Vice President, Operations, who accepted the award on behalf of UTC.

“The Corporation of the Year is given to a corporation who was active all year with the CMSDC and the MBE Input Committee,” Oneal said.

In addition, Sheila Harris of Sikorsky Aircraft received the Corporate Advocate of the Year Award. Three suppliers, two of which were nominated by United Technologies Research Center, received CMSDC Supplier of the Year awards: Light Speed, LLC, BLC Consulting Services, and Specialized Packaging Group.

Keith Wyche, President of U.S. Operations at Pitney Bowes, was a keynote speaker at the event. Wyche is the author of the book, “Good is Not Enough: And Other Unwritten Rules for Minority Professionals.”

Denise Nappier, Connecticut State Treasurer, received the President’s Award for her work in increasing diversity among corporate boards and increasing diversity in corporate executive suites. Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Attorney General, also showed his support by attending this event.

The selection process for this award begins with a nomination from a council of MBEs and the Minority Business Enterprise Input Committee (MBEIC). The Corporation of the Year truly exemplifies dedication to the mission of the CMSDC, which is to significantly increase procurement opportunities between corporate members and certified minority business owners.

The CMSDC strives to develop Minority Business into companies that can add value to prospective clients, an idea which parallels closely to the theme for this year’s UTC Minority Business Exchange (MBX) event, “Diversity Delivers Value.”

Earlier this year, UTC was honored by DiversityBusiness.com as one of the top 50 companies for multicultural opportunities.

UTC is a founding member of the CMSDC from the 1970s. Click here for more information on UTC Supplier Diversity.