WATERTOWN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New England Research Institutes (NERI), a specialty contract research organization (CRO), has now been formally certified as a women-owned business by both the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and the National Women Business Owners Corporation (NWBOC).
“These certifications enhance opportunities for NERI to provide our clients with supplier diversity, validates our commitment to customer service, and stimulates prospective partnerships,” says Sonja McKinlay, President. “We are also certified as a Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB) for government contracting.”
In addition to being officially “woman-owned” NERI is also very “woman-friendly” by actively promoting a healthy work-life balance and striving to eliminate barriers to women’s advancement in the workplace.
“NERI has always been vigilant in all hirings and promotions to ensure that equal pay is maintained across a diverse work force, of which 70% are female,” says McKinlay. In addition, she notes, approximately 90% of NERI supervisors are female.
“This certification is an important validation of our business model,” says Sandra Siami, NERI’s Vice President, Clinical & Regulatory Affairs. “The more visibility women gain as business leaders, the better it is for all of us. These certifications not only benefit NERI, but also our clients and vendors.”
ABOUT NERI
NERI is a global, privately held specialty Contract Research Organization providing customized clinical trial solutions and patient registry services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, biomaterial and medical device companies. NERI also has extensive experience collaborating on federally-funded research with organizations like the National Institutes of Health. Since its founding in 1986, NERI has earned widespread recognition for its scientific credibility, efficiency, and expertise in conducting clinical trials in a variety of medical specialties. For more information, visit www.neriscience.com.
ABOUT WBENC
The WBENC certification for women-owned businesses is one of the most widely-recognized and respected certifications in the nation and is accepted by over 700 major corporations across the country and a number of federal and government agencies. Companies seeking WBE certification by WBENC must be demonstrably 51% owned, controlled and operated by a woman or women. The organization not only reviews a company’s lengthy application, but also conducts site visits. WBENC is the leading third-party certification organization for women-owned businesses and is a powerful advocate for WBEs as suppliers to corporate America.
ABOUT THE NWBOC
The National Women Business Owners Corporation was created in response to needs identified by the Procurement Special Interest Group of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO.) The investigation revealed that to a large degree corporate America and government agencies had not received, nor recognized, the benefits of contracting with women suppliers. Only a small fraction of corporate and government contracts were with women-owned firms. This mindset prevented purchasers from obtaining the best value in their procurements, and it limited women business owners from penetrating these markets, which has stymied their business growth. Research has shown that after developing supplier partnerships with women-owned firms, many companies and government agencies have enhanced their bottom line for their shareholders, and taxpayers, respectively.