Little Rock, Ark. (February 14, 2024) – In 2023, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) certified 50 businesses as minority- and women-owned business enterprises through the Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) Certification Program. These 50 businesses bring the total number of Arkansas businesses that have received the MWBE certification to 335.

“Congratulations to the Arkansas businesses that achieved this certification in 2023,” said Esperanza Massana Crane, director of AEDC’s Small Business and Entrepreneurship Development Division. “The MWBE certification provides a wide range of benefits for businesses that will set them apart in a competitive landscape, and we hope that this will open the door for future opportunities for these companies.”

MWBE-certified businesses receive access to a statewide network of support services, including workshops, B2B networking, and notification of bid opportunities, as well as opportunities to do business with local, state, and federal governments; higher education institutions; lending institutions; and the private sector. 

Thirty-four Arkansas businesses were certified as minority- and women-owned business enterprises in 2022.

Businesses that apply for the MWBE Certification Program are evaluated in a review process that ensures that each business is owned, controlled, and operated by the applicants and that each business meets the eligibility criteria of the program. AEDC’s Small Business and Entrepreneurship Development Division administers the MWBE Certification Program.

View the full list of businesses in the MWBE Certification Program here. Learn how to get certified through the MWBE Certification program here. 

The newly certified women-owned business enterprises include:

Aleshire Electric Inc. (Mena)

Autumn Baer Holdings Inc. (Wynne)

Dr. Dawn ShopTalk (Little Rock)

Environmental Services Company, Inc. (Little Rock)

FLOORmaps (Rogers)

GWL Advertising, Inc. (Little Rock)

Harness Safety Systems (Harrison)

Hartley Commercial (Lowell)

Hendry Hardwoods LLC (Des Arc)

Industrial Restoration Systems, Inc. (Russellville)

Johnson Consulting LLC: Historic Preservation and Design (Little Rock)

Marlon Blackwell Architects, P.A. (Fayetteville)

Masketeers, LLC (Mountain Home)

Midwest Education Consultants, Inc. (Fort Smith)

Phillips Development Corporation (Little Rock)

Premier Benefit Management (Little Rock)

Trio’s, Inc. (Little Rock)

The newly certified minority-owned business enterprises include:

Allurin (Benton)

Ark-La-Miss Logistics Inc. (Maumelle)

Blacsheep Family and Autism LLC (Little Rock)

Casa Americana Realty (Little Rock)

Certified Pies (Little Rock)

Cheesecake On Point LLC (Little Rock)

Cox Minshall Winans LLC (Little Rock)

The Diversity Booth (Little Rock)

Excel Protection Services, Inc. (North Little Rock)

Full of Life Personal Care Services, LLC (Ashdown)

Giron Painting Group, LLC (Alexander)

Hair Couture, Inc. (Fayetteville)

Hebrews 11:1 (Hope)

Hope Career Staffing, LLC (North Little Rock)

Inspiring and Empowering Lives, LLC (Little Rock)

JBE Contractors Inc. (Little Rock)

JValenciaACTS, LLC (North Little Rock)

Kingdom Connect Consulting Services, LLC (Marion)

KLR6 Freight, LLC (Little Rock)

KRB Hair Studio (Bryant)

Master Floor Cleaning Incorporated (Pine Bluff)

Moving Beyond Limits LLC (Little Rock)

Ms. Tan’s OCD Cleaning Services LLC (Little Rock)

Mt. Olive Auto Transport LLC (Conway)

One Shot Transport LLC (Little Rock)

Performance Tax Group & Financial Services, LLC (Little Rock)

Q. Hathaway and Associates, LLC (Sherwood)

Sandy Bear Creek, Inc. (Bella Vista)

Shekinah Services, LLC (Monticello)

Vivian Wright & Associates, Inc. (Pine Bluff)

Williams Coaching and Counseling, PLLC (Jacksonville)

2^nd Generation Business Development and Investments, LLC (Conway)

The newly certified service-disabled veteran business enterprises include:

G2 Initiatives, LLC (Bryant)