ASHEVILLE

- Today is the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs through Oct. 15. The observance was authorized by Congress in 1968 to celebrate the culture and traditions of those who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central and South America and the Caribbean.

The Citizen-Times will feature stories related to Hispanic heritage throughout the month
Ask Luis Portillo how long he’s been an auto mechanic, and he gives a straightforward answer: “All my life.”

He’s had the dream of owning his own shop about that long, and he’s pretty close now. One of a growing number of local Hispanic entrepreneurs, Portillo, 40, opened TESA, an auto repair shop on Swannanoa River Road, last September.

A native of Honduras who left the country after it was devastated by Hurricane Mitch in 1998, Portillo worked for another mechanic in a Hendersonville garage for five years. Now he leases the building TESA is in, but he owns all the tools and machinery inside.

Though it’s a solo operation right now, he hopes to change that.

“That’s my plan — to have two, three mechanics working for me. It’s going to take a while,” Portillo said with a smile.

Numbers are impressive

Hispanic-owned businesses are growing locally, and not simply because the Hispanic population is increasing.

Between July 2006 and 2007, the Hispanic population in America increased by 1.4 million, reaching an estimated 45.5 million, or 15.1 percent of the estimated total U.S. population of 301.6 million. North Carolina had an estimated 593,400 Hispanic residents in 2006, nearly 7 percent of the state’s population.

Nationally, by 2050, the number of Hispanics is projected to reach 132.8 million, or 30 percent of the nation’s population.

In Buncombe County in 2006, the Hispanic population was estimated at about 8,900, out of a total of 222,174 residents.

“I would say the proportion of Latino entrepreneurs, compared to the Latino population in general, grows at a faster rate,” said Jamie Beasley, the Latino business developer for Mountain BizWorks, a nonprofit that works with entrepreneurs. “It’s probably true of immigrants across the board because starting a business is all part of the American dream.”

In 2006, Mountain BizWorks served nearly 700 individual clients, of which 35 percent were ethnic or racial minorities. Beasley said his last two classes for Latino entrepreneurs had 16 people in each class, even though they originally were designed for eight-12 people.

The Census Bureau had the number of Hispanic-owned businesses in America in 2002 at 1.6 million, noting that it grew at a 31 percent rate from 1997-2002 — triple the national average. North Carolina had almost 9,000 Hispanic-owned firms.

Brenda Mills, the minority business program coordinator for the city of Asheville’s Economic Development Office, said she’s definitely seeing more Hispanic business owners coming in for certification that allows them to pursue contracts with the city, as well as state and federal agencies.

“Being connected is so important, and that’s something we particularly have to encourage them to do — to get registered, to get connected,” Mills said.

She noted that the recent immigration raid at Mills Manufacturing in Woodfin, where 57 improperly documented workers were arrested, has dampened the trust level. Beasley also noted that attendance at his most recent class dropped to just four people.

Many Hispanic immigrants, like Portillo, who has a green card, are properly documented, but many others are not. And they are leery now of attending organized events.

Hurdles are there

Starting a business is tough for anyone, but particularly Latino immigrants.

“The hardest part is the English,” said Portillo, who speaks fluent, if heavily accented, English now. “In order to have the licenses and permits, you have to speak English.”

Beasley said Latinos also have trouble navigating the American credit system, because taking out long-term loans often is a foreign concept.

Writing a comprehensive, long-term business plan also is tough, and Latinos often find a shortage of more professional service firms such as accountants who can serve them.

“But the thing they have going for them is they make very, very natural entrepreneurs — they’re extremely hardworking, determined and confident,” Beasley said. “They’re also willing to put in the amount of time, effort and hard work that it takes to start something from nothing.”

That’s certainly been the case with Portillo’s business, TESA, an acronym that when translated from Spanish means “Technician Specialist Automotive Service.” He’s slowly built a customer base, networking within the Hispanic community but also developing devoted Anglo customers like Oakley resident Max Bradburn.

“He’s an A-1 mechanic,” said Bradburn, a retired Blue Ridge Paper mill worker. “They’re excellent craftsmen, and they have something that we — white men — don’t have much anymore: a work ethic. They have the drive, they want it. This guy, he’s not just going to hang out — he’s got plans.”

Adelante: New business helps Latinos network

Adelante: New business helps Latinos network

Seeing an opportunity and need for Latinos to better use networking opportunities within their own community, Jamie Beasley started Adelante, a Latino-friendly certification business. For the past six months, he’s produced a list of Latino-friendly and bilingual businesses and distributes it at 40 spots around town. He also advertises through two Latino newspapers and at local events. For more information or to be listed through Adelante, call Beasley at 215-6722 or send an e-mail to jamie@adelante-usa.com. The Web site is www.adelante-usa.com

Mountain BizWorks — The nonprofit has a Latino entrepreneur program. For more information, call 253-2834 or visit www.mountainbizworks.org.

Source: Citizen Times