Milwaukee, Wisconsin, October 17, 2006 – The Potawatomi Business Development Corporation (PBDC), owned and operated by the Forest County Potawatomi Community, announced today a new partnership with HCI Distribution and Ho Chunk, Inc., the business development arm of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. The partnership will focus on the launching of HCI Logistics, a Native American owned Transportation Brokerage Company.
“HCI Distribution has been in the transportation business for the past seven years and has quickly become the largest minority owned business in Nebraska ,” said Carol Leese, Potawatomi Business Development Corporation CEO. “Their knowledge of the transportation industry and established relationships, make it attractive to establish this new HCI Logistics venture.”
“HCI Logistics will certainly leverage our existing success formula for transportation and distribution,” said Mike Porter, CEO, HCI Distribution. “We have the infrastructure in place and have identified an increased demand for logistics solutions from a minority-owned provider. We’re excited about working with the Potawatomi Business Development Corporation and look forward to a long-term, successful partnership.”
HCI Logistics will be an SBA 8a and HubZone certified Logistics Company with licensed motor carries and licensed transportation brokerage services. HCI Logistics will open offices in Omaha , Nebraska and serve local and regional customers. Future plans include a Milwaukee , Wisconsin distribution subsidiary.
About Ho-Chunk, Inc. and HCI Distribution
Ho-Chunk, Inc. is the economic development arm of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. Located in the beautiful rolling hills of Winnebago, Nebraska, our immediate mission is a simple one – to use the Tribe’s various economic and legal advantages to develop and operate successful Tribally owned business enterprises and to provide jobs for Tribal members. Such businesses are being developed both on and off the Winnebago reservation. The long-term mission of Ho-Chunk is to provide the Tribe with a large enough income stream from its business operations to enable the Tribe to reach total economic self-sufficiency. In addition to the creation of diversified business enterprises both on and off the reservation and the creation of jobs for Native Americans, Ho-Chunk, Inc. is really in the business of long-term economic development for the Winnebago Tribe. For more information on Ho-Chunk, Inc., visit their website at http://www.hochunkinc.com.
HCI Distribution markets Native American tobacco and gasoline products blended on the Winnebago Reservation. In 2003, HCI Distribution was named the largest minority-owned business in Nebraska . We market tobacco products manufactured by four tribes and one non-tribal entity to approximately 60 tribes or tribally affiliated entities. The gasoline division sells blended fuel to seven tribes in the region. HCI Distribution is located in a new 16,000 square foot facility in the Ho-Chunk Village Development in Winnebago. For more information on HCI Distribution, visit their website at http://www.hcidistribution.com.
About the Potawatomi Business Development Corporation
The Potawatomi Business Development Corporation is owned an operated by the Forest County Potawatomi Community of Wisconsin . The Corporation seeks to diversify Potawatomi business holdings beyond gaming in effort to secure the future of the Potawatomi tribe for the next 7 generations and beyond. In addition to Potawatomi Design Group, other Wisconsin business operations include 1Prospect–a technology solutions company. For more information on the Potawatomi Business Development Corporation, visit our website at http://www.potawatomibdc.com.
