17 co’s pass SBA’s ’16 ‘Emerging Leaders’ training series
SBA District Director Yvette T. Collazo.
The U. S. Small Business Administration Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands district office recently graduated 17 companies from the second “Emerging Leaders” training series delivered in Puerto Rico, District Director Yvette T. Collazo announced.
“Over the past seven months, we trained and mentored 17 business owners through SBA’s premier executive level educational program,” Collazo said. “Today they walk out with the strategic growth plans and action plans they designed during the curriculum, and are ready to take their companies to the next level.”
The companies that graduated from the Emerging Leaders Class of 2016 are: AG Group LLC; Integra Design Group; DOT Communications; QRC Group Inc.; Confianza Exterminating Corp; VPC Development Management Group PSC; Electrical & Power Generator Services; Carcongroup Engineering PSC; Inhauz Strategic Partners, LLC; Quantum Consulting Inc.; Aires y Servicios Contratistas Mecánicos, Inc.; Panadería San Agustín #2 Inc.; Quesos Vaca Negra Inc.; PAWI Corp.; Quality Consulting Group LLC; ABC Sales & Services Inc.; and Nearix LLC.
Those 17 companies span a variety of industries, from scientific, technical and consulting services, pest control, and engineering, to construction, marketing and food manufacturing. They also cover all four Puerto Rico regions and the USVI, with participants as close as San Juan, Bayamón, Guaynabo and Caguas, and as far away as Hatillo, Guánica, Juana Díaz, St. Croix and St. Thomas.
Launched in Puerto Rico in April 2015, the “Emerging Leaders” training series was designed to serve as a catalyst to help expand opportunities for established small businesses in underserved communities.
Over the past seven months, participants worked with course instructor Jaime Yordán-Frau, mentors and industry experts, developing connections with other business owners and community leaders.
Since its inception in 2008, “Emerging Leaders” has trained more than 3,000 promising small business owners nationwide. Graduates have reported that nearly 70 percent achieved revenue growth and more than 80 percent created new jobs or retained all existing jobs.
They also have secured close to $1 billion in federal, state, local and tribal contract awards.
