SBA programs called under-utilized despite local successes

Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2000 | 10:57 a.m.

When a fire destroyed Los Arcos Tortillas in 1984, Gus Gutierrez thought the small family business he founded with his father was finished.

But Gutierrez got help and a loan through the U.S. Small Business Administration, moved into a manufacturing plant and warehouse and formed Tortillas Inc. It's now the leading supplier of Mexican food products to retail, food service companies and hotel-casino properties in Nevada.

Gutierrez was one of several Las Vegas-area business people who gave testimonials at a meeting of about 40 representatives of several local chambers of commerce attended by SBA Administrator Aida Alvarez Monday.

Alvarez used the forum to spread awareness of the resources available through Nevada's SBA office. The SBA offers counseling, training and financial assistance programs and maintains a list of lenders for eligible minorities, women, veterans and disabled business people.

The Nevada SBA office is on the brink of its second straight record year. Nevada SBA spokesman Roger Hopkins said in the 1999 fiscal year ending in in September, the local office made 461 loans totalling $132 million. Totals are expected to be even higher for the 2000 fiscal year.

Lunches like the one on Monday -- hosted by SBA loan recipient Tola Chin at Chin's restaurant -- give SBA officials the opportunity to meet entrepreneurs they have helped as well as get the word out on new programs, like the historically underutilized business zone (HUBZone) empowerment contracting program.

The procurement element of the HUBZone program alone amounts to about $2 billion in contracts a year and Congress has set a goal of increasing the total value of the program to $6 billion by increasing the percentage of contracts awarded to businesses in those zones over five years.

Last week, the House approved a new package of tax breaks, regulatory relief, loan programs and housing credits to spur investment in poor urban and rural areas. Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., a member of the House Committee on Small Business, supported the legislation, which was approved in a 394-27 vote.

Berkley, who said lack of awareness of the new SBA programs is its biggest drawback, introduced Alvarez at the lunch meeting.