Indy Airport Participates in Nationwide Supplier Diversity Day
IND among 39 airports to connect rental car companies with diverse suppliers
INDIANAPOLIS (April 30, 2019) – More than 50 small and diverse business representatives arrived at the Indianapolis International Airport (IND) today to learn about contracting opportunities with the airport’s rental car business partners. The Indy airport was among 39 airports across the country that participated in this single-day event to help connect rental car companies with local diverse business suppliers.
The rental car brands at the Indy airport employ more than 500 full and part-time employees and helps support hobs in many industries across the Indianapolis Metropolitan area.
Rental car brands, Hertz Corporation, Avis Budget Group, Enterprise Holdings and Sixt Rent A Car, as well as IndyGo, the Indiana Department of Transportation and the U.S. Small Business Administration, attended the event.
“Today’s event is part of our on-going, open-door approach to introduce prime contractors to subcontractors, and connect diverse businesses to resources and meaningful opportunities,” said Mario Rodriguez, Indianapolis Airport Authority executive director. “Our local diverse suppliers are a tremendous value to the people that travel through IND and are a big part of why we are the best mid-sized airport in North America year after year.”
Attendees at today’s event not only met with rental car brands to learn about contract supplier opportunities, they also learned about Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) and other supplier diversity certifications.
Airports, in general, are environments rich in opportunities for a range of business types and ownership, said Rodriguez, citing that it takes “an ecosystem” of business relationships to run a metropolitan airport operation the size of the Indianapolis airport.
"Every year in Indiana there are hundreds of millions of transportation or transportation-related dollars in potential disadvantaged-business enterprise contracting opportunities," said Joe McGuinness, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Transportation. "The Indianapolis Airport Authority and its business partners, with events such as today, provide excellent opportunities for small businesses to become members of Indiana's DBE community and connect with other DBEs, prime contractors, and state agencies that work with small businesses."
Click here to learn more about IAA’s supplier diversity program.