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The Borgata Offers Opportunities to Minority Businesses

When Boyd Gaming entered the city's gaming industry with the start of construction of The Borgata in the Marina District, it made a commitment to work with MBE-WBE companies. The company quickly began to make efforts to contact MBE-WBE companies.

To make it easier for these companies to play a role in the expansion of the Atlantic City gaming industry, The Borgata has initiated a program that will sponsor membership in the Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce for minority and women-owned businesses that qualify. ``We understand that companies need to become a real part of the overall business community in the Atlantic City region,'' says Edna Ortiz, the EEO officer for The Borgata. ``If these businesses can interact with other successful businesses, it will go a long way to establishing them in the community.''

Joe Kelly, the President of the Chamber, says the program will bring more involvement in the organizations from the minority community. ``We're very pleased to welcome these companies into the Chamber,'' Kelly says. ``They will truly become a part of the business community and we will be able to respond to their needs.''

Brewster's Global Cafe in Atlantic City is one of the first businesses to take advantage of The Borgata program. Owner Bruce Williams says it will help increase the visibility of his business. ``I know the Chamber is an important component of business success in the Atlantic City region,'' he says. ``It's a great way to network and meet other business people. And the involvement of The Borgata is emblematic of their commitment to the community.''

Ortiz says The Borgata will offer a one-year membership sponsorship to a company that meets the following specific eligibility criteria:

-- A business owner is interested in becoming a member of the Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce.

-- The business has 20 or fewer employees and is a minority-owned business or a woman-owned business.

-- The business is independently owned and operated.

-- The business owner is responsible for the daily and long term operation of the business.

-- The principal place of business is in the greater Atlantic City area.

By meeting the criteria, the business becomes eligible for the program. The Borgata will pay for a limited number of one-year memberships to the Chamber. It will be the responsibility of the sponsorship recipient to renew the membership at the completion of the one-year sponsorship.

Ortiz says The Borgata will consider sponsoring renewal memberships to the Chamber and will evaluate the candidates on an individual basis.

The Borgata believes the program is an excellent way of getting to know these minority and women-owned businesses. ``If many of the larger companies in the region adopted a similar program, we're certain that we can expand the diversity of businesses that are members of the Chamber and more importantly, valuable members of the business community,'' says Ortiz. ``We'd like to challenge the other companies to institute a program like this so we can encourage more minority and women-owned businesses to become active members of the Chamber.''

Williams says Brewster's Global Cafe, like the Chamber, is interested in building the downtown area of Atlantic City. ``The people in the Chamber have rolled up their sleeves and gotten down to work,'' he says. ``That's the kind of organization that I want to be associated with.''

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