Caracal was proud to participate in-person in this year’s Michigan Minority Procurement Conference (MMPC), held at Huntington Place in downtown Detroit from May 2-4, 2023. This year’s theme was “Future Ready: Where Success = Economic Equity.” And true to that theme, companies represented at the conference included some of the nation’s top corporations and minority-owned businesses, each one providing access to others in attendance whose desire it was to network with like-minded individuals, with the collective goal of having their businesses thrive in 2023 and beyond.
Caracal was set up in Hall D with a large vibrant display near the hall entrance displaying many of our products and services. That strategic placement allowed us to engage the many curious conference-goers who sought to learn more about what we do and the many potential procurement and other business opportunities we provided. Caracal team members answered questions about our broad array of apparel, commercial paper products, healthcare solutions, and services including print management, kitting, warehousing and fulfillment. Visitors also learned about our social commitments, including 1 Kind World, our co-owned brand of consumable paper products, our Caracal-funded collegiate scholarships, and our commitment to accelerate job growth in diverse communities by sourcing directly from minority-owned and women-owned businesses. With dozens of other companies represented at booths in what MMPC dubbed as Business Opportunity Exchange Day, the engagement with Caracal reps was predictably high and very welcome.
Caracal Employees from l to r: Matt Bajorek, Director of Business Development, Rebecca Miller, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Karli Lewis, Commodity Products Specialist, Alexandra Dadio, Marketing Manager, Lindsay Cassler, Business Development Manager, Darrell Roberts, COO and Don Roberts, President and CEO.
The company’s founder and CEO, Don Roberts, was on hand and reiterated Caracal’s continued commitment to MMPC, now in its 42nd year. Noting the company’s many years of prior attendance, Roberts acknowledged that this year’s conference was only the beginning of MMPC returning to the levels of attendance it once enjoyed pre-pandemic, as the Covid national health emergency only recently officially ended. As more and more people become comfortable with large, in-person trade fairs like this one, Roberts expects an even bigger turnout in future years with more opportunities for networking, workshops, seminars and industry-specific forums like those offered at this year’s MMPC.
One thing’s for certain, Roberts and the rest of the Caracal team look forward to our participation in next year’s conference, where we hope to engage even more companies as potential business and mentorship partners!