Two Far West RTTC small business suppliers captured the number one and number two rankings in the category of government subcontractors at the University of Southern California this year. Those two small businesses are among the fifteen highest ranking small business suppliers to the University. The fifteen high-ranking small businesses were selected from more than 10,000 suppliers utilized by USC this year. Rankings, based on volume of business with USC and letters of commendation, were determined in five small business categories: minority-owned, woman-owned, veteran-owned, local vendors and government subcontractors. The three highest ranking small businesses in each of the five categories will be honored by the University at the First Annual Small Business Awards Dinner – Recognizing Excellence, held on October 21, 2003 at the USC campus. Griffith Computer Systems of Sunland, California was the highest ranking small business in the category of government subcontractors. Griffith Computer Systems, a small, woman-owned business, provides computer hardware, software and network maintenance services to Far West RTTC. WRJ Group, another small, woman-owned business located in Fountain Valley, California, ranked second in the category of government subcontractors. WRJ Group, a southern California affiliate of the Far West RTTC, is involved in economic development enterprises targeted primarily at small, minority and woman-owned businesses in Empowerment and Enterprise Zone areas. WRJ Group’s efforts for Far West RTTC focus on helping to develop incubators and “smart” buildings devoted to commercialization of technology developed by NASA. WRJ Group has helped raise $16.5 million for construction of the Digital Media Business Accelerator in Santa Ana, California and is also assisting in putting together an economic justification for establishment of a similar facility on the island of Maui in Hawaii. Far West RTTC Director Ken Dozier praised the efforts of these two small businesses. “Congressman Jerry Lewis of California sponsored a bill that enabled the Far West RTTC to focus our efforts on expanding our network of female-owned and minority-owned suppliers. WRJ Group and Griffith Computer Systems bring expertise to our projects that perfectly complement our core competencies here at the Far West RTTC. We are proud of their accomplishments and hope that we can continue to benefit from their excellent service for many years to come” said Dozier.