Six companies from across the country recently were recognized with the American Gaming Association’s Diverse Vendor of the Year Award. The awards were presented at the Congressional Black Caucus Institute’s Tunica 2010 Mississippi Policy Conference in August.

“When it comes to working with diverse suppliers, commercial casinos are leaders among U.S. businesses, spending hundreds of millions of dollars with diverse businesses each year,” said Frank J. Fahrenkopf, president and CEO of the AGA. “The AGA and its member companies are proud of our commitment to diversity and pleased to honor these companies that exemplify the strength of the industry’s diverse supplier programs.”

For the second year, the AGA Diverse Vendor of the Year Awards offered AGA members the opportunity to honor top minority, woman and disadvantaged business enterprises (MWDBEs) doing business with the gaming industry. Winners were nominated by individual gaming companies. Given the varying depths and scopes of these vendor-supplier relationships, the AGA allowed its members to determine the selection criteria.

The six companies honored include Las Vegas-based Branch-Hernandez & Associates; Corporate Business Supplies of New Orleans; Crown Vehicle Detailing of Tunica, Mississippi; D&J Supply Company, a Memphis, Tennessee-based, woman-owned hotel/motel supply company; Davis Supply Company of Kansas City, Missouri; and Midwest Game Supply Company of Kearney, Missouri.  

“These fine companies are examples of the strong work being done every day in the gaming industry by diverse vendors,” said Fred Keeton, vice president of finance, external affairs and chief diversity officer for Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. and chairman of the AGA’s Diversity Task Force. “Diversity is something that gaming companies take very seriously, and we work hard to consider it in every aspect of our business.”

By GGB Staff

Staff writers for Global Gaming Business magazine. Las Vegas, Nevada.