WASHINGTON, DC (October 24, 2017) — The U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) honored their 2017 National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week Award winners. This year the Agency recognized 15 businesses leaders, advocates and minority business enterprises (MBEs) who have demonstrated proven leadership, commitment and excellence in advancing the interests and the economic achievements of the minority business community.

For more than 30 years, MBDA has observed National MED Week by convening award winners, key business leaders, influencers, MBEs and advocates during a week-long celebration. MBDA partnered with the National Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. (NMSDC) to host special MED Week programming and events during the 2017 NMSDC Conference and Business Opportunity Exchange Oct. 22-25 in Detroit.

The 2017 Minority Business Enterprise of the Year is Parrish McDonald’s Restaurants Ltd. This award is presented to a minority-owned business enterprise that has exceeded industry standards and has had significant growth through additional creation of jobs, while showing a commitment to social responsibility and exemplifying strong community involvement, while also achieving an overall impressive business performance.

“I will cherish being selected. To be recognized nationally and to be recognized by a governmental agency does not happen often. It makes me feel that all my hard work over the years, have paid off. I do believe that small business is the backbone of the U.S. economy. So, I accept this award on behalf of all the small businesses in the U.S.,” said Roland Parrish, President and CEO Parrish McDonald’s Restaurants Ltd. “I was elated when I received notification. It made me feel like I had won an Emmy or Grammy lifetime achievement award. As a small business person, you work hard and you have very long days. You receive very few thank you remarks. So, I was elated that someone noticed and recognized the hard work.”

After graduating from Purdue University, Parrish began a 13-year career at Exxon before the entrepreneurial bug bit. After being rejected as a McDonald’s franchisee, he persisted and bought his first store in 1989 with 43 employees and sales of about $522,000.

Today, the company operates 23 restaurants with 1,088 employees and net sales more than $63 million. The Dallas Business Journal ranks the organization the 9th-Largest Minority Owned Business in north Texas. Roland Parrish is also the former chairman and CEO of the National Black McDonald’s Operators Association, a 42-year-old organization with $2.7 billion in sales and 1,300 restaurants.

Through Parrish’s philanthropic efforts, Purdue’s Management and Economics Library renovation project, which was renamed the Roland G. Parrish Library of Management and Economics, received a $2 million leadership gift. Parrish constructed and established the John H. and Marie Parrish Medical Center in Fort Portal, Uganda, named in honor of his parents. The clinic provides treatment to patients with treatable ailments and cares for orphans whose parents have died due HIV/AIDS. Parrish is in the process of working with an advertising firm in Uganda to start an international mission campaign to assist the clinic to become fully self-sustaining.

Since 1983, every U.S. president has issued a Presidential Proclamation designating National Minority Enterprise Development Week to recognize the contributions of the minority business community to the U.S. economy. This year President Donald J. Trump proclaimed Oct. 22-28 as the 2017 National MED Week.

The 2017 National MED Week winners were recognized by MBDA Acting National Director Christopher Garcia during the NMSDC Power Breakfast Oct. 23 in Detroit and also invited to attend a National MED Week award ceremony at the White House Oct. 24.

To view the full list of the 2017 National MED Week winners visit https://www.mbda.gov/news/press-releases/2017/10/mbda-announces-2017-national-med-week-award-winners