Academy for the Advancement of Small, Minority and Women Owned Enterprises
Philosophy
With the philosophy that strong communities need to have strong large and small businesses in order to succeed, the Arizona Public Service’s (APS) Academy for the Advancement of Small, Minority and Women Owned Enterprises (AAAME) program was created to develop and implement a program of sustainable tools and resources for small businesses in our community. APS recognizes that while there is a need for strong corporate members, the new, emerging, growing businesses are a vital part of the economic engine; they employ more people and lease or purchase more space in their communities. Many of the enterprises are owned by minorities and women, who in turn hire employees of diverse backgrounds and women.
AAAME
AAAME is a two-year business mentoring program designed, sponsored and administered by Arizona Public Service. The mentoring program is a combination of business skills training, one-on-one mentoring, group projects and individualized goal setting and action plans.
Participation
Since AAAME’s inception, 87 small businesses in the Phoenix metropolitan area have attended business training classes, built networks, developed resources and met with individual advisors all geared toward assisting them in reaching their next level of business success.
APS Support
APS strives to be a community leader in providing real programs with real results. AAAME is supported and endorsed by the President of APS and the AAAME Executive Board, a panel of 5 APS Executives. AAAME continually works to update and improve the training and mentoring methods to achieve the greatest impact. Training programs have been developed specifically for small businesses that are not available within our community. APS brings together the individuals and groups that want to help, with those ready to incorporate the assistance to grow their business. APS Officers meet with AAAME participants throughout the year to obtain feedback and insight.
Results
AAAME companies are growing, flourishing and thriving. While each AAAME company defines its own success, each company has moved forward towards its goals, empowered to make choices that help compete with other businesses, hire more individuals and improve lives and communities.
This focused and integrated mentoring has resulted in 52 AAAME graduates, with 28 companies currently in some phase of the AAAME process. Just in the past three graduating classes, there has been a 55 percent increase in gross revenues. Many AAAME companies have increased the size of their workforces, strengthened their market positions and increased their business space. They are becoming the next generation of community leaders, building their communities one success at a time.
Arizona Public Service
As the largest affiliate of Pinnacle West, Arizona Public Service (APS) generates, sells and delivers electricity and energy-related products and services. APS serves more thanmillionin 11 of Arizona’s 15 counties, and is the operator and co-owner of the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station – a primary source of electricity for the Southwest.
For more than a century, Pinnacle West and its affiliates have provided energy and energy-related products to people and businesses throughout Arizona. Based in Phoenix, Pinnacle West has consolidated assets of $11.3 billion and annual revenues of $3 billion.
