Houston changes supply purchase process to benefit minority, women-owned businesses [Video]

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The City of Houston has changed its supply purchasing process to include more minority and women-owned businesses (MWBEs).

Chief Procurement Officer Jedediah Greenfield told ABC13 that the city currently purchases supplies worth between $5 and $8 million.

Previously, if an MWBE small business wanted to sell to the city, it would have had to purchase supplies from a prime vendor or a wholesaler and then sell them back to that same business at a markup. The city would then purchase those goods from the prime vendor.

Jedediah Greenfield used widgets as an example. If a small business had gotten its widgets from a wholesaler and wanted to work with the city, it would have had to sell those widgets back to the wholesaler at a markup for the city to purchase them.

Greenfield said the city has worked to avoid such transactions because they do not make sense for any …