Springfield hires local company to help women, minorities win city  contracts

 by The Republican Newsroom

 Tuesday March 24, 2009, 8:30 PM

By PETER GOONAN
pgoonan@repub.com

SPRINGFIELD - The city has hired a local company in a joint venture with the New England Black Chamber of Commerce to assist women-owned and minority-owned businesses in pursuing and securing city contracts.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno announced this week that Royal & Munnings LLC, a female-owned limited liability company that operates as a law firm, and the chamber will work together to provide consulting services and assistance.

"The city's goal is to increase and make available opportunities that will help the city achieve its goal of 20 percent minority-awarded contracts," he said.

The percentage of minority-awarded contracts is currently less than 10 percent, officials have said.

Royal & Munnings will work to assist companies with state Office of Minority and Women Business Assistance certification, as well as help in responding to public procurement opportunities, said the mayor.

The contract with Royal & Munnings is funded by the city, and is not to exceed $25,000. The company maintains offices in Northampton and Springfield.

The founders of Royal & Munnings - Amy B. Royal and Aimee Griffin Munnings - established the company to help promote the development of businesses owned by women and minorities, said Sarno.

Munnings is executive director of the Black Chamber of Commerce, and received a Minority Small Business Champion Award from the Small Business Administration for both Massachusetts and New England. Royal is a lawyer, and is listed as the resident agent of Royal & Munnings in corporate records.

The chamber has a history of providing technical support to women and minorities committed to building business enterprises. Sarno said it plans to enhance its services, such as legal capacity, building workshops, outreach networking events, a small business development conference, state office facilitation workshops, and financing awareness events.

Finance Control Board Executive Director Stephen P. Lisauskas and City Chief Procurement Officer Maria Lopez-Santiago joined in praising the outreach effort.

In December, Sarno hosted a state Office of Minnority and Women Business Assistance seminar to guide city departments in reaching out to minority-owned businesses.