NASCAR Announces the Addition of Minority-Owned Suppliers

08-12-2005 | TruckSeries.com

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) announced supplier relationships with Martinlitho, Atlanta International Consulting Group (AICG) and Touchpoint, Inc.

Martinlitho, will print the 2006 media guides for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, the NASCAR Busch Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.  In addition, Martinlitho will design the 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Media Guide.

AICG will provide promotional collateral material to support NASCAR's communications and marketing efforts.  Touchpoint will supply NASCAR with information technology hardware and design new data management systems for NASCAR headquarters in Daytona Beach, Fla.

"NASCAR's efforts to bring female and minority-owned businesses into our industry are an important component of NASCAR's overall vision. These steps are the result of a strong relationship with Magic Johnson, co-chair of NASCAR's Executive Committee for Diversity, who has had a remarkable record of bringing together corporate America and minority vendors," said NASCAR Chairman and CEO, Brian France.

"NASCAR should be commended for its commitment to further diversifying the sport on and off the track," said Earvin "Magic" Johnson.  "This announcement is another step in advancing the goal of expanding opportunities in NASCAR. NASCAR is committed to creating meaningful opportunities for everyone to participate in and enjoy the sport," said Johnson.

"Today's vendor announcements are a tribute Earvin's leadership and his efforts to make NASCAR's vendor program a corporate priority," said NASCAR Chief Operating Officer, George Pyne, who serves with Johnson as co-chair of NASCAR's Executive Committee for Diversity.

NASCAR is a member of the Florida Minority Supplier Development Council and the National Supplier Development Council and is committed to actively identifying and providing opportunities in our industry to minority-owned businesses.

"We are excited about the growth of NASCAR's vendor family with the addition of Martinlitho, AICG and Touchpoint," said Tish Sheets, NASCAR's director of diversity. "I am proud of our efforts to expand opportunities in our industry to small businesses across America."

"We are looking forward to working with America's fastest growing sport," said Martin Saavedra, chief executive officer of Martinlitho.

"NASCAR is one of America's strongest brands and I am excited about the impact this new relationship will have on our bottom line," said Clay Croom, managing director, AICG.

"We are looking forward to the opportunity to help NASCAR strengthen its' information technology infrastructure and are excited to be a member of the NASCAR vendor team," said Lisa Harper, chief executive officer of Touchpoint.

About Martinlitho, Inc.
Established in 1970, Martinlitho (MLI) is certified as a minority-owned business by the Florida Minority Supplier Development Council. MLI is a full-service, multi-color commercial printing and graphic arts company and has received an exceptional level of national recognition for outstanding quality. Recently, MLI received 22 awards from the Printing Industries of America Florida.

About Atlanta International Consulting Group
Atlanta International Consulting Group (AICG) is a certified African American owned fully integrated marketing and promotions agency whose roots are firmly planted in direct and promotional marketing. For nearly 20 years, they have provided clients with custom-branded merchandise to help businesses make their mark. AICG's clients include: The Coca-Cola Company, Coca-Cola Enterprises, AOL/Turner, BellSouth Corporation, S.C. Johnson, McDonald's Corporation, ARAMARK and MCI WorldCom.

About Touchpoint
Jacksonville-based TouchPoint is certified as a Minority Business Enterprise by the State of Florida and offers a broad range of Network Integration Solutions ranging from Network Storage, Security, and LAN/WAN Infrastructure. TouchPoint was recently named the fourth largest female-owned business in the Jacksonville area by the Jacksonville Business Journal. TouchPoint was also named the third-largest computer dealer and number one computer integrator.