SHANNON R. SHEPP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PHONE: 863-537-3999 FAX: 877-352-2487 STATE OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF CITRUS 605 EAST MAIN STREET / BOX 9010 / BARTOW, FLORIDA 33831 fdocgrower.com floridajuice.com MARTIN McKENNA CHAIRMAN FLORIDA CITRUS COMMISSION October 26, 2015 Ron Palmer Office of Supplier Diversity 4050 Esplanade Way, Suite 380 Tallahassee, FL 32399-0950 Dear Mr. Palmer: Attached you will find a copy of the Small Minority, Service-Disabled Veteran and Women-Owned Business Participation Plan for the 2015-16 Fiscal Year for the Department of Citrus. I look forward to working with you again to increase the utilization of these business groups in the Department s procurements. If you have any questions regarding the plan or our minority vendor activities, give me a call at 863-537-3961. Sincerely, Christine C. Marion Comptroller Attachment Maximize consumer demand for Florida citrus products to ensure the sustainability and economic well-being of the Florida citrus grower, the citrus industry and the State of Florida. The Florida Department of Citrus is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Agency.
FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF CITRUS Minority, Service-Disabled Veteran and Women-Owned Business Participation Plan October 26, 2015
TABLE OF CONTENTS Subject PAGE Small Business Participation Mission Statement... 1 Small Business Participation Program Overview... 1 The Small Business Participation Program... 1 Definitions... 1 Staffing Resource Commitment... 2 Small Business Exposure Initiatives... 2 Small Business Educational Initiatives... 2 Program Assessment... 3 Fiscal Year 2013/2014 Small Business Contracting Summary... Exhibit I Fiscal Year 2014/2015 Small Business Contracting Summary... Exhibit II
Small Business Participation Mission Statement The Florida Department of Citrus will continue to demonstrate commitment in outreach initiatives to ensure participation of Small and Minority-, Service-Disabled Veteran-, and Women-Owned businesses in the economic life of the State of Florida. Small Business Participation Program Overview Citrus will continue activities that provide support to the Small Business Program as well as identifying additional initiatives within the constraints of the Department that will further the directives and philosophies of the One Florida Initiative. The basic premise of the Program will ensure intentional and proactive corporate citizenship in pursuing and promoting diverse entrepreneurship whereby legitimate business needs and corporate philosophies are met and supported through a network of diverse suppliers. Because of limited staff and financial resources, Citrus will utilize the Office of Supplier Diversity as the key to our program components. The Program will consist of the following components: A. Staffing Resource Commitment Citrus has designated a senior management staff member that is responsible for oversight of initiatives identified herein or as may be developed. Procurement staff resources are committed to the implementation of initiatives and maintaining working relationships with OSD. B. Small Business Exposure Initiatives These activities will insure small businesses are afforded opportunities to compete and participate in procurement activities regardless of value. C. Small Business Education Initiatives These activities ensure small businesses are informed and instructed in various processes necessary to successfully compete and participate in procurement opportunities. D. Program Assessment Citrus will continue monitoring spending activity and identifying and sharing successes with contract vendors. Definitions Business Partner A business entity in a contractual relationship with Citrus to provide commodities and/or contractual services for business operations. Citrus The Florida Department of Citrus DMS The Florida Department of Management Services OSD The Office of Supplier Diversity Small Business any business entity that qualifies under the definitions set forth in Chapter 288.703(1)-(2), Florida Statutes.
Staffing Resource Commitment The designated senior manager is Ms. Christine Marion, Comptroller, who is responsible for ensuring that Citrus directives are communicated to all employees involved in the procurement of commodities and contractual services. Ms. Dianne Screws, Purchasing Director, is the implementation manager, who will coordinate Program communications with Business Partners and Small Businesses. She, along with her staff, will participate in various State and local efforts to emphasize the One Florida Initiative, and will foster relationships with OSD in order to fully utilize the resources they provide to us. Small Business Exposure Initiatives Citrus Website Business Partner Activities Small Business Trade Fairs Citrus website includes Vendor Information tab that directs vendors to DMS-OSD website to take advantage of all State opportunities. Citrus continues to work with program contract agencies to engage Florida minority vendors in their bid activities. Our Business Partners currently work closely with our Purchasing Director in the procurement of commodity services with Floridabased vendors. Citrus will seek out and attend or sponsor events that facilitate personal interaction between small business entities and Citrus and our Business Partners, when they are scheduled in Central Florida. Small Business Education Initiatives Citrus Website Business Partner Activities Small Business Trade Fairs Citrus website links visitors to the OSD website to learn of procurement-related resources available to minority business vendors. Citrus Purchasing Director will continue outreach to our program contract agencies to educate their purchasing officers in the resources and potential cost savings available through Florida minority vendors. Sponsorship and attendance at Central Florida events would provide opportunities for Purchasing Office staff to learn and become acquainted with newly established small businesses and to interact with OSD personnel to learn of their new initiatives.
Small Business Certification Citrus will be proactive in identifying non-certified small businesses and initiate communication about the benefits of certification. Citrus will sponsor a booth and attend the MatchMaker event in Orlando, when scheduled. We will also encourage participation by our small business providers. Program Assessment Citrus has tracked and maintained historical data on minority vendor spending and has seen fluctuations depending on the focus of our marketing and research activities. The citrus industry continues to battle a destructive disease, HLB or greening. With decreasing crops, lower availability of fruit, and higher market prices, the FDOC has increased spending in scientific and economic research activities to ensure a viable future for the Florida citrus industry. Much of this work is done by universities and research agencies, with little or no opportunity to utilize minority business partners. Historically, nearly half of our budget is extended to market Florida citrus domestically; television, social media, and online advertising comprise the bulk of advertising spend and are not conducive to minority vendor procurement. In fiscal 2014-15, we shifted our strategy to conduct more public relations and shopper marketing campaigns. To support shopper marketing,we contracted with MARS Advertising Co., a non-certified womanowned business, to lead our shopper marketing efforts. As a result of this relationship and the increase in campaigns, our overall minority spending nearly doubled to 18.0%. Contract agencies report their Florida certified minority spending to the Department. It is included in our monthly and annual activity. For FY2015-16, we have new marketing and public relations agencies. With these new partners, we have emphasized the importance of using minority vendors whenever possible and have provided a form for them to report this activity on a monthly basis. Citrus will remain diligent in locating those spending areas that utilize Florida minority vendors. During FY2014-15, we sponsored a booth at the Matchmaker event in Orlando. To kick off FY2015-16, we participated in a minority vendor fair at Polk State College on July 31. We will continue to look for other opportunities in Central Florida to reach out to minority vendors in our area.
EXHIBIT I FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF CITRUS MINORITY VENDOR ACTIVITY Fiscal Year 2013-2014 Architects / Commodities Contracts Engineers YTD % of YTD % of YTD % of % of Type Code Expenditures Total Expenditures Total Expenditures Total Total Total Certified African American H $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Hispanic I 2,089.53 0.00 0.00 2,089.53 Asian/Hawaiian J 55.00 13,246.27 0.00 13,301.27 Native American K 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 American Woman M 11,354.20 52,179.47 0.00 63,533.67 Ser Dis Veteran W 0.00 15,627.50 0.00 15,627.50 Subtotal 13,498.73 0.3% 81,053.24 0.3% 0.00 0.0% 94,551.97 0.3% Non-Certified African American N 55.00 2,538.00 0.00 2,593.00 Hispanic O 31.48 0.00 0.00 31.48 Asian/Hawaiian P 21,696.54 695.00 0.00 22,391.54 Native American Q 19.50 37.50 0.00 57.00 American Woman R 236.72 2,509,375.10 0.00 2,509,611.82 Ser Dis Veteran Y 310.54 0.00 0.00 310.54 Subtotal 22,349.78 0.4% 2,512,645.60 9.2% 0.00 0.0% 2,534,995.38 7.8% Other 5,165,712.83 99.3% 24,689,455.61 90.5% 0.00 0.0% 29,855,168.44 91.9% Total $5,201,561.34 $27,283,154.45 $0.00 $32,484,715.79
EXHIBIT II FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF CITRUS MINORITY VENDOR ACTIVITY Fiscal Year 2014-2015 Architects / Commodities Contracts Engineers YTD % of YTD % of YTD % of % of Type Code Expenditures Total Expenditures Total Expenditures Total Total Total Certified African American H $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Hispanic I 368.94 0.00 0.00 368.94 Asian/Hawaiian J 3,856.54 32,235.46 0.00 36,092.00 Native American K 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 American Woman M 10,492.35 168,704.82 0.00 179,197.17 Ser Dis Veteran W 0.00 447.00 0.00 447.00 Subtotal 14,717.83 1.0% 201,387.28 1.1% 0.00 0.0% 216,105.11 1.1% Non-Certified African American N 2,570.00 2,635.40 0.00 5,205.40 Hispanic O 356.08 3,420.00 0.00 3,776.08 Asian/Hawaiian P 32,447.39 0.00 0.00 32,447.39 Native American Q 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 American Woman R 268.12 3,408,846.54 0.00 3,409,114.66 Ser Dis Veteran Y 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Subtotal 35,641.59 2.4% 3,414,901.94 19.4% 0.00 0.0% 3,450,543.53 18.0% Other 1,462,949.38 96.7% 14,022,789.80 79.5% 0.00 0.0% 15,485,739.18 80.9% Total $1,513,308.80 $17,639,079.02 $0.00 $19,152,387.82