ASG Renaissance Named 'Minority Supplier of the Year' at Urban Wheel Awards

Hispanic/woman-owned automotive supplier earns top Urban Wheel Award for its exemplary diversity practices

DETROIT, Jan. 7 -- On Wheels, publisher of African Americans On Wheels and Latinos On Wheels magazines, and Forbes presented the "Minority Supplier of the Year" award to ASG Renaissance, a national Hispanic- and woman-owned technical and communications services firm, during the Eighth Annual Urban Wheel Awards on Jan. 6, 2004. ASG Renaissance is the first Hispanic-owned supplier to win the prestigious, industry award.

Held in conjunction with the North American International Auto Show, the Urban Wheel Awards honored automotive companies, executives, dealers and suppliers for their efforts to promote diversity. The Urban Wheel Award for "Minority Supplier of the Year" is given to an automotive supplier that has provided extraordinary customer service via innovative marketing, production and distribution methods. Based on preliminary nominations submitted by automotive companies and executives, ASG Renaissance was selected as the final award winner by an independent panel of automotive journalists.

ASG Renaissance is a national technical and communications firm offering engineering, information technology, project management, supplier development, marketing, public relations, creative design and professional staffing services. As part of its supplier development services, ASG Renaissance successfully has created diversity development programs for Ford Motor Company, DaimlerChrysler and GlaxoSmithKline. ASG Renaissance has offices in Michigan, California and Washington, D.C.

In more than a decade of operation, ASG Renaissance has evolved into one of the fastest-growing private firms in Michigan. Of the company's 216 associates, 40 percent are women and 26 percent are minorities. In December of 2003, the firm's CEO, Lizabeth Ardisana, was elected chairperson of the Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce -- becoming the first woman to chair the organization, and in November, the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce named Ardisana "Hispanic Businesswoman of the Year" for the Midwest region. Recently, the firm also has received other numerous distinctions, including being named as one of the "Top 50 Diversity-owned Businesses in Michigan" by diversitybusiness.com, as well as earning Crain's Detroit Business' designation as one of the "Best - Places to Work in Southeast Michigan" for the third consecutive year.

Upon winning "Minority Supplier of the Year," Ardisana said, "We are extremely honored to be selected by On Wheels and Forbes as the 'Minority Supplier of the Year.' Supplier diversity is increasingly becoming an important issue within the minority community, so companies need to invest in a strong minority supply base and communicate those efforts if they want to continue to do business with minority consumers."

"ASG Renaissance's programs not only are strengthening the minority supply base at Ford and DaimlerChrysler, but they also are helping minority suppliers to secure larger contracts," On Wheels' President and CEO Randi Payton said. "The company is committed to diversifying the automobile industry and, for that, it is well deserving of the distinction 'Minority Supplier of the Year.'"

In addition to ASG Renaissance, the other Urban Wheel Award winners were Ford Motor Company (Patterson-Greenfield Company of the Year); Edward Welburn, vice president, General Motors North America (Edward Davis African-American Executive of the Year); Francisco Codina, vice president, Ford Customer Service Division (Edward Davis Latino Executive of the Year); Cadillac XLR (Urban Car of the Year); Ford F-150 (Urban Truck of the Year) and GlobalHue (Urban ADvantage awards). Scholarship recipients of the Edward Davis Education Foundation, which supports minority students in pursuit of automotive careers, also were announced at the Urban Wheel Awards ceremony.