Kalista Johnston isn’t a sports fan, but it’s fair to say she’s loving the NFL right about now.
The owner of Garrett-based Grace Island Specialty Foods Inc. landed an order to provide her company’s gourmet baked cheese crackers at an invitation-only Super Bowl tailgate party.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Johnston, who declined to specify a dollar amount for the sale.
The Garrett woman was one of 10 area entrepreneurs who participated in the NFL’s Emerging Business Program, earning them a place in an online resource guide that lists about 400 certified minority- and women-owned companies in the state.
The National Football League created the program 18 years ago to give minorities, including women, an opportunity to bid on procurement contracts generated by a Super Bowl.
Participants were invited to workshops that covered how to get certified, complete bids, and get insurance and bonding. Attendance wasn’t mandatory for being included in the program’s resource guide, but being a certified minority- or women-owned business was.
Officials stressed that participating in the program isn’t a get-rich-quick proposition, said Marshawn Wolley, director of emerging business and community outreach for the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee. The program helps a small-business owner make contacts and raise the company’s profile, Wolley said.
Historically, about 25 percent to 35 percent of participants have received a contract, according to the program’s participant handbook. Others simply receive access to business training, increased marketing and networking opportunities generated by their participation, program officials say.
The NFL doesn’t designate how many contracts must be awarded annually to program participants. It specified 65 to 70 categories of products and services that would be needed to put on the internationally televised event and asked companies to apply.
Among the services needed were painting, photography and snow removal. Required rental items included tables, chairs and golf carts. And consumable products on the list included balloons, office supplies and fireworks.
Nicole Grove, owner of Allegiant International LLC, is one of the entrepreneurs who didn’t get work through the program.
The Auburn placement firm specializes in engineers, a profession Grove thought would be needed for all the flashy staging and lighting set-ups. But she was asked to submit only one bid, for, of all things, bartenders. She didn’t win the contract.
“I thought it would be fun and exciting if we could have worked something out,” said Grove, adding she’s glad she tried.
Choice Designs Inc. is another local company that hasn’t received business from the Emerging Business Program. But that’s because the interior design firm didn’t attend the training or pursue opportunities to bid on projects.
Jenny Nelson, a designer with the company, said some customer orders were at a critical point when the Super Bowl-related bids were due. Owner Sharon Ollis decided to focus on existing clients.
“We were so busy, we couldn’t do it,” Nelson said of pursuing the Emerging Business opportunities. “It’s a great problem to have.”
