Disparity dilemma

Minority-owned businesses have trouble landing contracts with Prince George's County because its leaders' commitment to promote such deals has not filtered down through the county's bureaucracy, according to an unreleased report.

Factors include confusion among employees with procurement authority as to their individual responsibility to reach out to women- and other minority-owned business enterprises. Also, the county's Minority Business Development Division has not maximized its influence on purchasing opportunities, said the disparity report, which was commissioned by Prince George's officials and cost almost $372,000....

The county let more than $635.5 million in contracts from fiscal 1996 through 2004, with 80 percent awarded within the metropolitan region that includes Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia, according to the report.

Companies owned by white men won 65 percent of those contracts, while 33 percent went to minority-owned businesses and 2 percent went to women-owned businesses. Among the minority businesses, companies owned by people of East and South Asian descent received 12 percent, black-owned companies received 11 percent, and Hispanic-owned businesses received 10 percent....

Of the 649 minority business enterprises certified in Prince George's, half are based in the county. The total comprises the following owner categories:

Black 64%

Asian 14%

Woman 13%

Hispanic 9%