SBA graduates 39 co.’s from Emerging Leaders Program in P.R.
The U.S. Small Business Administration graduated 39 companies from its Emerging Leaders program in Puerto Rico, completing the fifth cycle of the training series offered to small business entrepreneurs on the island, with cohorts in San Juan and — for the first time — in Ponce.
“The desire to continue moving our island forward, even in the most challenging of times, is one of the things that distinguishes the spirit of our people, and it is what distinguishes our graduates today,” said SBA District Director Yvette T. Collazo.
“The commitment our Emerging Leaders participants have demonstrated toward this program is also evidence of their dedication to the companies they operate, and of their desire to succeed, grow and contribute to their communities and overall economic development,” she said.
SBA’s Emerging Leaders program delivers entrepreneurship education and training focused on small, poised-for-growth companies that are potential job creators.
Since inception in Puerto Rico in 2015, and not including this year’s class, the program has trained 72 small business owners, creating or retaining 807 jobs, and securing over $11 million in government contracts.
Seventy five percent of businesses reported to have increased or maintained revenue, the SBA said.
Over the past six months, Emerging Leaders program participants worked with course facilitator Jaime Yordán-Frau, mentors, guest experts and their peers, to successfully exit the program with a three-year strategic growth action plan for their businesses.
The companies that graduated represent industries such as construction, engineering, information technology, software design, nutrition, poultry feed, restaurants, clinical labs, and services, among others.
The following companies completed the program successfully: 18 Grados; A Ochoa Distributor, Inc; AGMA Security Services, Inc.; Artisoft Laboratories, LLC; Beginners General Contractors Corp.; Central Group Engineering Services, PSC; Collazo Engineering Group, Inc.; Consolidated Facility Services; Construcciones López y López, Inc.; Constructores Gilmar, Inc.; Don Frappé y Don Maceta; EBATEC, Inc.; Ellco Group, LLC; ETAG Corporation; FEMSPRO, Inc.; FIS-VCI, Inc.; Glasstra Group, LLC; GlobalTech Corp.; Grupo Serramal, Inc.; Instrumed Service Co., Inc.; Interactive Technology Group; ITACON Corporation; Laboratorio Clínico Bayamón; Laboratorio Clínico Plaza Oasis, Inc.; Levy Construction, Corp.; Libros AC; Multidesk LLC; NPR Solutions, Inc.; Pax-Chem, Corp.; Plug-In Utility Services, Corp.; Puerto Rico Distribution & Sales Services; Quiri’s General Construction & Maintenance, Inc.; Ray Engineers, PSC; SafeTM; Sky High Elevators Corp.; Smart Food Systems, LLC; Smile Again Learning Center, Corp.; VIS Technologies; and YCS PR Corp.
