Shelly Hasney named
President of Mid-South Equipment
In January 2019, Shelly Hasney was appointed as the new president of Mid-South Equipment, shattering a glass ceiling in a male-dominated field. Male dominated industries are those with less than 25% of female employees. Companies within these industries rarely see women in management positions. Shelly Hasney has taken her career from business manager to general manager, and then finally to president of Mid-South Equipment and has become an inspiration for all women.
Pictured Above: Shelly Hasney, President and Partner
What Is DBE Certified?
A Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, or DBE, is a for-profit small business in which an economically and socially disadvantaged person owns at least a 51% interest and equally controls daily operations and management. Individuals that are considered to be socially and economically disadvantaged can include African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, Asian-Pacific, Subcontinent Asian Americans, and women. Now that Shelly Hasney is the president and majority owner of Mid-South Equipment, our organization qualifies for DBE certification.
The DBE program is created to fix ongoing discrimination in a variety of markets nationwide. The goal is to level the field by giving small businesses that are controlled and owned by socially and economically disadvantaged people a fair opportunity to compete for more federally funded contracts.
Once a small business has been certified as a DBE, they must maintain that certification yearly. A No Change Affidavit and Declaration must be submitted every year on the anniversary of the date that the first certification was received. The No Change Affidavit and Declaration confirms that there have been no changes in the business’ circumstances that would affect its disadvantaged status, size, ownership or control requirements.
Mid-South Receives Certification in Male-Dominated Industry
Gender gaps can seem insurmountable in many industries, especially those dominated by men. Many women would not consider working in the commercial HVAC industry because of different gender stereotypes in the field. With Shelly Hasney taking over as president, and Mid-South becoming a DBE certified business, we are slowly dismantling this stereotype, and the world of male-dominated careers is changing. Having a diverse population is incredibly important to innovation and very beneficial to a company’s growth. Receiving the DBE certification is a huge accomplishment for Mid-South Equipment and we hope to see more businesses in this industry work to achieve the same progress.
