Negocios Now

www.negociosnow.com Julio 2018 3 I n an interview with Arthur Zayas Miller by Negocios Now publis- hed a couple years ago, he advised other Latino entre- preneurs: "Don't be afraid of falling." That advice helped this Army veteran lead his com- pany, MZI Group, straight to the top, making it one of the main Latino contractors in the city of Chicago. In 2018, ComEd chose MZI from seven local companies owned and led by people of color and women to receive the Community Champion award at the third annual Diverse Supplier Awards ceremony. This award recognizes MZI's continued achievements and excellen- ce in construction and pro- fessional services, environ- mental stewardship, com- munity building, and job creation. Zayas Miller founded MZI in 1999, and since then it has done nothing but grow. Last year, the company invoiced more than $60 million in revenue. "I started MZI Group almost 20 years ago as an eager entrepreneur. In that time, we had never worked with a company quite like ComEd; they are not just a client, but a partner. In our partnership, MZI has transformed into the company it is today. We are a supplier with a focus on safety, community, and phi- lanthropy," said Zayas Miller. A Latino and veteran- owned electrical and mecha- nical construction company, MZI specializes in energy infrastructure, utility pro- jects, design-build, and faci- lity services. The organiza- tion has worked on projects for numerous high-profile clients, including FedEx, Nordstrom, Metra, the Uni- versity of Chicago, Chicago Public Schools, and the Chi- cago Board of Trade. MZI works with ComEd -one of its most important clients- to improve and update the current electric infrastructure, including substations, skyscraper transformers, and the inte- grations of intelligent mea- suring tools. ComEd has invested hea- vily in infrastructure, helping the growth of MZI and other companies that work for this Exelon company. MZI has been part of these upgrades, working on many skyscraper transformers, sewer infras- tructure, and electrical subs- tations throughout the city of Chicago. The MZI Group certifica- tion as a Minority Business Enterprise, or MBE, also strengthened the company's continued relationship with ComEd. In 2017, ComEd spent $711 million – 36 percent of its total supply chain spen- ding – on diversity-certified suppliers, an increase from the 33 percent of total supply chain expenditures in 2016. Last year, the company esta- blished 111 new diversity- certified supplier relations- hips for a total of 478. That same year, ComEd awarded MZI the Overall Performance for Construction and Material Services. The High Voltage of MZI and Arthur Zayas Miller DIAMOND SPONSOR GOLD SPONSOR SILVER SPONSORS SPECIAL THANKS BRONZE SPONSORS OVERALL PERFORMANCE FOR CONSTRUCTION AND MATERIAL SERVICES: United Scrap Metal, Inc. (Cicero, IL) - innovative recycling solutions. OVERALL PERFORMANCE FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES: KDM Engineering (Chicago, IL) - engineering and telecommunications consulting. RISING STAR AWARD: Livewire Electrical Systems, Inc. (Calumet Park, IL) - electrical contracting, safety inspections, and construction. GO GREEN ENERGY SUSTAINABILITY AWARD: Zones, Inc. (Carol Stream, IL) - IT hardware, software, and related services. DIVERSITY ADVOCACY AWARD: Meade, Inc. (La Grange, IL) - design, construction and maintenance of electrical power and natural gas distribution systems, and telecommunications technologies. COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP AWARD: MZI Group, Inc. (Chicago,IL) - electrical and mechanical construction, energy infrastructure, design build, and facility services. TRANSFORMATION AWARD: The Will Group (Chicago,IL) - lighting fixture assembly and testing, system assessment, and pole manufacturing. The 2018 ComEd Supplier Diversity Awards:

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