Hispanic/woman-owned automotive supplier earns top Urban Wheel Award
                    for its exemplary diversity practices

    DETROIT, Jan. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- On Wheels, publisher of African Americans
On Wheels and Latinos On Wheels magazines, and Forbes presented the "Minority
Supplier of the Year" award to ASG Renaissance, a national Hispanic- and
woman-owned technical and communications services firm, during the Eighth
Annual Urban Wheel Awards on Jan. 6, 2004.  ASG Renaissance is the first
Hispanic-owned supplier to win the prestigious, industry award.
    Held in conjunction with the North American International Auto Show, the
Urban Wheel Awards honored automotive companies, executives, dealers and
suppliers for their efforts to promote diversity.  The Urban Wheel Award for
"Minority Supplier of the Year" is given to an automotive supplier that has
provided extraordinary customer service via innovative marketing, production
and distribution methods.  Based on preliminary nominations submitted by
automotive companies and executives, ASG Renaissance was selected as the final
award winner by an independent panel of automotive journalists.
    ASG Renaissance is a national technical and communications firm offering
engineering, information technology, project management, supplier development,
marketing, public relations, creative design and professional staffing
services.  As part of its supplier development services, ASG Renaissance
successfully has created diversity development programs for Ford Motor
Company, DaimlerChrysler and GlaxoSmithKline.  ASG Renaissance has offices in
Michigan, California and Washington, D.C.
    In more than a decade of operation, ASG Renaissance has evolved into one
of the fastest-growing private firms in Michigan.  Of the company's 216
associates, 40 percent are women and 26 percent are minorities.  In December
of 2003, the firm's CEO, Lizabeth Ardisana, was elected chairperson of the
Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce -- becoming the first woman to chair the
organization, and in November, the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
named Ardisana "Hispanic Businesswoman of the Year" for the Midwest region.
Recently, the firm also has received other numerous distinctions, including
being named as one of the "Top 50 Diversity-owned Businesses in Michigan" by
diversitybusiness.com, as well as earning Crain's Detroit Business'
designation as one of the "Best - Places to Work in Southeast Michigan" for
the third consecutive year.
    Upon winning "Minority Supplier of the Year," Ardisana said, "We are
extremely honored to be selected by On Wheels and Forbes as the 'Minority
Supplier of the Year.'  Supplier diversity is increasingly becoming an
important issue within the minority community, so companies need to invest in
a strong minority supply base and communicate those efforts if they want to
continue to do business with minority consumers."
    "ASG Renaissance's programs not only are strengthening the minority supply
base at Ford and DaimlerChrysler, but they also are helping minority suppliers
to secure larger contracts," On Wheels' President and CEO Randi Payton said.
"The company is committed to diversifying the automobile industry and, for
that, it is well deserving of the distinction 'Minority Supplier of the
Year.'"
    In addition to ASG Renaissance, the other Urban Wheel Award winners were
Ford Motor Company (Patterson-Greenfield Company of the Year); Edward Welburn,
vice president, General Motors North America (Edward Davis African-American
Executive of the Year); Francisco Codina, vice president, Ford Customer
Service Division (Edward Davis Latino Executive of the Year); Cadillac XLR
(Urban Car of the Year); Ford F-150 (Urban Truck of the Year) and GlobalHue
(Urban ADvantage awards).  Scholarship recipients of the Edward Davis
Education Foundation, which supports minority students in pursuit of
automotive careers, also were announced at the Urban Wheel Awards ceremony.

Link to this page: