Business

Hispanic CofC members lay out vision

by Aruna Jain
Staff Writer

Members of the Hispanic business community laid out a vision of their future at the launch of the new Prince George's Hispanic/ Latino Chamber of Commerce at Julita's Restaurant in Hyattsville Thursday evening.

President Lourdes Washington told the attendees that the chamber will provide important resources for Hispanic business owners.

"This is an opportunity to disseminate information that a lot of Hispanic businesses don't know about," she said. "We want to help with contract procurement and networking opportunities and more."

Washington ended her speech by saying "en la union esta la fuerza" or "unity is strength."

This sentiment was repeated as guests ate pastelitos, Russian salad, meatballs and more, provided by Julita's Restaurant owner Eduardo Island. Island is also vice president of the new chamber.

Hyattsville city Councilman Carlos Lizanne, owner of grocery store El Compadre and the city's first Latino councilman, said that the establishment of the new chamber is a step in the right direction.

"We need these kinds of institutions for the improvement of businesses," said Lizanne, who also is a member of the Salvadoran Chamber of Commerce. "We have to progress. This is a wonderful step."

Rosa Amo, executive director and co-founder of the new chamber, said that it was long overdue.

"I feel like I'm at the Latin Grammy awards," Amo said as she placed membership applications on a table. "It [the chamber] recognizes how Hispanic businesses are growing in the county."

Jaime Victoria, an associate agent with Nationwide Insurance said that a lot of the time, Hispanic business owners come into his offices to get insurance, but have no idea what insurance is available, much less what they need for their particular business.

"It's more than selling a policy," Victoria said. "They want to know more, they want to know how to navigate the system. You can come to this event to network and to get your message across."

Nationwide Insurance started its Hispanic initiative in 1999 to focus on that demographic to bring in more customers, Victoria said.

"The Hispanic business community has been neglected for years," he said.

County Council Chairman Peter A. Shapiro (D-Dist. 2) of Mount Rainier said that organizations like these empower a community.

"We will be successful if we organize," said Shapiro, who serves the communities of Hyattsville, Langley Park and Adelphi. "That kind of power goes a long way. That's how we build our identity."

Shapiro said the Hispanic community is growing, not only in Hyattsville and Langley Park, but in Riverdale and even as far south as Accoceek.

"Fifty percent of the people I represent are immigrants. Thirty percent are Latino," he said. "In many ways, the Latino community is the future of the county."

Shapiro said that the Langley Park and Hyattsville area is trying to re-brand itself as Maryland's "international corridor."

"It has the potential to be the next Adams Morgan," he said.

Moussa Toure, who owns the new 300-seat restaurant Coco Cabana in Hyattsville, agreed. He also owns two restaurants in Washington, D.C., including one in Adams Morgan.

"With the amount of the Latin community in Langley Park, they need representation; they need guidance," Toure said. "It'll be another plus for this neighborhood."

In addition to politicians and business owners, several organization representatives were at the event.

The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, the chamber's first corporate sponsor, sent two representatives.

Necola Shaw, head of Lanham's nonprofit National Capital Minority Business Opportunity Commission urged business owners to contact her about securing contracting opportunities. She said that the NCMBOC's mandate is to provide at least $458 million in contracting opportunities and to provide $15.6 million in loans to help minority businesses. She mentioned the recent memorandum of understanding NCMBOC had signed with BB&T bank to provide access to capital and other forms of financing.

Prince George's Community College President Ronald Williams and Del. Victor Ramirez (D-Dist. 47) of Mount Rainier are honorary members of the chamber.

By the end of the night, founding member Henry O. Aldana, who owns an accounting firm in Rockville, said he signed on 13 new members and that the chamber now has a total of 20 members.

Anthony Ramos, owner of Fatzo Catering in Washington, D.C., was one of them.

"I think I need to be involved in anything the community is a part of," Ramos said. He is currently looking into expanding his service into Largo or Beltsville.

William Campos, Hispanic liaison to County Executive Jack B. Johnson, was one of the last speakers.

"African-Americans and Hispanics make up most of the county," Campos said. "That's not a minority. That's a majority."

The Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED) and Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) will offer a series of breakfast seminars aimed at helping small and minority businesses. The “Wednesday Workshops,” which will take place every Wednesday morning in September (September 3, 10, 17, and 24), will address the specific needs and training of small and minority owned businesses in the metropolitan area. Included in the four workshops will be detailed information to help businesses find the tools, resources and ideas needed to enhance business development.

“Small businesses, including minority participation, are vital to the continued growth of Maryland’s economy - making up 95 percent of all Maryland companies and employing nearly 40 percent of our workforce,” said Aris Melissaratos, Secretary of the Department of Business and Economic Development. “In order for Maryland’s small businesses to succeed they need greater access to capital, information, resources and opportunity. Our partnership with BCCC in offering these workshops will help to achieve that goal.”

Participants will have the opportunity to meet renowned speakers and panelists from the national and local business community. Speakers will demonstrate how to navigate through the maze of Procurement, Marketing, Finance and New Technology.

The breakfast seminars will run from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and cover the following topics:

September 3 - Marketing Strategies, Branding and Public Relations

September 10 - Financial Planning, Sources of Capital and Growth Strategies

September 17 - Procurement Opportunities, Pros and Cons of Certification and Client Diversification

September 24 - Technology Applications for Small Business, Technology Trends and Electronic Commerce

Interested parties can sign up for the entire conference series or choose the breakfast topic that is of the most important to them. The conferences will take place at the Radisson Hotel At Cross Keys, 100 Village Square, Baltimore. Register at www.WednesdayWorkshops.com <http://www.wednesdayworkshops.com/> or call (410) 757-0905.

The Baltimore Hispanic Chamber of Commerce had a "Meet the Candidates" night at El Trovador restaurant in Baltimore. Larry Jefferson, candidate for Mayor; Sheila Dixon, Catherine Pugh and Carl Stokes, candidates for President of the Baltimore City Council and Cheryl Glenn, Angelo Solera, Carlos Torres, Patrick Burns and Gene Curran, all candidates to the city council showed up and had a chance to present their positions to an audience of about one hundred members and friends of the chamber. Although the chamber did not endorse anyone, it was clear that Angelo Solera got the largest ovation from the audience. His endorsement by the Baltimore Sun, the AfroAmerican newspaper and the City Paper have made his candidacy more than a real possibility: he may be the first Hispanic elected to a political position in the history of Baltimore.