Toni L. Duval says what minority businesspeople want is a foot in the door.

That's one goal of the Knoxville branch of the Tennessee Minority Supplier Development Council, which is staffing daily an office at 531 Gay St. as it expands efforts to help minority businesspeople get work with the government and the private sector. Duval, interim director of the council's Knoxville branch, wants to double minority business membership this year.

Duval, who also owns TLD, a training and leadership development firm, said it may sound simple that minorities just want doors opened, but she and other minority businesspeople claim they can't even get some private-sector businesspeople to respond to inquiries.

A similar complaint was made by members of the Black Business/Contractors Association last week at a meeting with top officials of the Knoxville Area Chamber Partnership.

KUB, a corporate member of the council, will host a general information meeting about the council, a successor to a purchasing agents group, at the Ed Hoskins Power Operations Center, 4505 Middlebrook Pike, From 8 to 11:30 a.m., March 24.

"It will give KUB an opportunity to talk about their procurement efforts. The council will talk about certification and advantages of being part of the council from the corporate and minority business side," said Duval.

The council provides certification for minority business owners that "recognizes excellence in business standards;" access to working capital loans to certified minority businesses; business-building seminars, training and technical assistance; listing on a national database operated by the National Minority Supplier Development Council in New York City; and introductions to corporate customers specifically seeking to do business with minority firms.

Duval said KUB has agreed to set up a mini-expo so certified suppliers can display information, and corporate purchasing agents and buyers can meet and talk with suppliers. A Hispanic-owned firm, DCS Electronics of Alcoa, will be spotlighted. Speakers will include Steve Mosteit, KUB director of procurement, and Cheri Henderson, executive director of the state council in Nashville.

The certification is important to get work on government contracts, Duval said. Knox County government, for example, asks that would-be suppliers be on a vendor list, and one question in getting on the list is whether the business is minority-owned.

"Currently the county is under no legal responsibility to verify the ownership," she said, although Knox County, another corporate council member, is considering asking the council tos assist with the verification process.

Duval says federal legislation requires minority-owned businesses be given equal opportunity for contracts and requires the state to make an effort in that direction.

A study of the city of Knoxville's purchasing and procurement contracts for possible racial or gender discrimination is going to show "a great disparity at the local level for minorities," Duval predicted. "That's pushing the need."

The "disparity" study was undertaken last year and is in its final stages, said Mark Hairr, city policy analyst. Results will be made public at a series of meetings March 19.

Mark Deathridge, owner of East Tennessee Mechanical Contractors Inc., said one advantage of membership in the council is the opportunity to network.

"A group like this can take you to the table and introduce you to a majority (white) business. Once you get in the door, you still have to sell your business," he said.

Deathridge also is chairman of the Black Business/Contractors Association. He said the black business/contractors group deals more with policy, while the minority supplier council deals more with business awareness.

"Both organizations can work hand-in-hand in pursuing economic parity for minority business," he said.

The statewide minority supplier development council has 95 corporate members; 16 are in East Tennessee. Duval said there are 177 statewide certified minority businesses; 16 are in East Tennessee, from Athens to Bristol.

Duval's goal is to obtain at least 10 more corporate members and 36 more minority-certified businesses by the end of the year. Fees are $100 for minority businesses and $300 to $6,000 for corporate members, based on annual revenue.

Besides Deathridge, Knoxville branch advisory board members are Pete Dayton, DOE; Steven R. Hodges, Jacobs Engineering; and Frank Larvie, Morrison Knudsen