MINORITY BUSINESSES

Certain service business investments provide excellent growth opportunities because they may gain significant private and government contracting advantages by virtue of CIRI's Alaska Native ownership. A growing number of private companies, including most Fortune 500 companies and government entities, recognize that minorities are the fastest-growing U.S. population segments, and they are diversifying their supplier bases to reflect this change. Also, many companies that do business with the federal government and many state governments are required to meet specific Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) subcontracting requirements. CIRI and several of its wholly and majority-owned subsidiaries are MBE-certified and in a preferred position when competing for contracts with entities that have minority procurement goals or requirements.

SIZE AND EXPERIENCE

CIRI and several of its businesses received Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certification from the Northwest Minority Business Council. The council is a regional affiliate of the National Minority Supplier Development Council, a national business member organization that works to increase procurement and business opportunities for minority businesses.

CIRI is working to identify services and products utilized by large corporations that have diversity procurement goals and looking for opportunities to participate in businesses that can supply those services and products to the market.

With more than $700 million in total assets and excellent liquidity and portfolio diversification, CIRI's size and experience give it a competitive advantage in the minority procurement market.