Disabled Find Jobs Through Social Enterprise, Minnesota Diversified Industries

A Minnesota-based company is using social entrepreneurship to bring a sense of pride and accomplishment to people with disabilities. Minnesota Diversified Industries (MDI) is a company that provides job training and employment to people with disabilities.

The company specializes in crafting plastic products like postal totes for companies and organizations. Their employees craft trays, boxes and custom plastic containers that are durable and resistant to deterioration.

MDI began in 1964 and now has four locations throughout Minnesota. It has provided training and jobs to hundreds of people with disabilities, both in their factories and at the sites of other companies, to provide diverse job opportunities for their employees.

The company leverages a standard business model along with social entrepreneurship. It's employees are a key selling point along with the product. According to the MDI website, they have created more than 74 millions postal totes.

A company with more than 40 years of experience in social entrepreneurship is unique. They provide not only jobs and training, but also a sense of pride and independence for their workers. They assess the needs of their clients and can match products and employees for general corrugated plastic projects or specific services in various industries.

Each day, their employees get out of bed and head to work, just like everyone else, and provide a service and product that they can be proud of. MDI gets a quality product and grow their customer base while individuals with disabilities learn profitable skills.

They have become a leading member of the business and social community and developed strong relationships with local businesses as well as government state and federal agencies. Few social enterprise organizations have had a comparable level of success to MDI and it doesn't look like it will be shutting down anytime soon.

For more information about MDI, their business and mission, visit its website at www.mdi.org.


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