Pepco : and Exelon Host Diverse Business Empowerment Forum

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 13, 2016) - More than 190 businesses from the Washington, D.C., area attended a diverse business empowerment forum recently to learn about contracting opportunities with Pepco and Exelon.

The forum gave local minority and women-owned businesses information on Pepco purchasing plans for the remainder of 2016 and into 2017 so the suppliers can consider bidding on Pepco contracts.

'We want to provide suppliers with a better understanding of our strategy and approach so that they have more opportunities to bid on work with us and to expand their business,' said Pepco Region President Donna Cooper. 'Supporting local and diverse companies is important to us, and we want to share the opportunities broadly.'

Three diverse certified businesses leaders - Pless Jones, CEO & president of P&J Contracting; Dr. Sheila Brooks, founder and president of SRB Communications LLC; and Cora Williams, co-founder and president of Ideal Electrical Supply Corp. - also shared their experiences working with Exelon and Pepco.

'These kinds of forums are valuable for learning the critical steps that small businesses can take to pursue opportunities, to stay informed, to engage and be competitive,' said Williams, whose District of Columbia-headquartered company was founded in 1991.

Her company, Ideal Electrical, is a wholesale distributor of electrical industrial and telecommunications infrastructure products and currently contracts with Pepco.

The forum built on previous events that Pepco and Exelon have organized to help connect minority-, veteran-, and women-owned and other diverse businesses with growth opportunities.

Emmett Vaughn, director of diverse business empowerment for Exelon, spoke about possible contracting options and told the packed room at Pepco's D.C. headquarters that the merger would bring new opportunities.

'We are a growing company, and we want diverse businesses to grow along with us,' Vaughn said.