NEWS RELEASE - DALLAS/FORT WORTH DISTRICT OFFICE

Release Date:  November 2, 2010	Contact:  Arlene Brown 817 684 5541
Release Number: 10-DFW	Internet Address: www.sba.gov

SBA Honors Emerging 200 Initiative Graduates

FORT WORTH, TX – The U.S. Small Business Administration Dallas-Fort Worth District Office will honor 14 small business entrepreneurs participating in the Dallas Emerging 200 Initiative (e200) at a graduation ceremony scheduled on Monday, November 8, 2010, at the Dallas City Hall, Flag Room from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Deputy Mayor Pro Tem, Pauline Medrano will give welcoming remarks. Dallas is one of 22 cities nationwide participating in the e200 program.  

“Since small business drive our economy, the Emerging 200 Initiative is one of several initiatives where the SBA, in cooperation with our co-sponsors, have invested in upgrading the skills of each e200 business executive.” said Herbert Austin, Director for the SBA D-FW district. “The MBA-style program is aimed at extending new tools and networking opportunities to e200 graduates.  Each e200 business executive made a significant commitment to attend weekly sessions from April to October.  They have had a great class experience and we are sure that the Dallas-Fort Worth economy will benefit from their continued success as entrepreneurs,” said Austin.

The e200 program identified inner-city businesses nationwide that showed high potential for growth and provided them with the networking opportunities, the resources and motivation required to build a sustainable business within a designated inner-city geographic location. 

The cornerstone of the e200 program in Dallas is the in-depth 80-hour educational program focusing on topics such as organization management, financial analysis, growth strategies, market development and strategic planning.  The program also included CEO mentoring sessions.  SBA contracted Futures Consulting to conduct the executive training.

Futures Consulting trainer, Lin O’Neill, delivered the Dallas e200 curriculum.  O’Neill worked with each e200 small business owners to produce a three-year strategic growth plan with benchmarks and performance targets for their individual businesses.  

The 2010 graduates of the program are:

• Ariba Industries – Michelle Moncibais, President
• ARS Engineers, Inc. – Ayub R. Sandhu, President
• Brenco Industrial Services, LLC – Steve Cardwell, President
• Carrco Painting Contractors, Inc. – Javier Huerta, President
• Cobb Professional Services, Inc. – Afra B. Cobb, President
• GCC Enterprises, Inc. – Gregory L. Cody, President
• KAI Texas LLC. – Darren James, President and COO
• LeBel Publishers Inc. – Rene Le Bel, President
• Office Clean America Inc. – Elrie Freeman, President
• Payless Home Repairs – Laura Rodriguez, President
• Ponce Contractors Inc.  – Elizabeth Ponce, President
• Prosecure Inc. – Charles Barrague, President
• Regali Inc. – Renee Dutia, President
• Rollins Construction Services Inc. – Marlon Rollins, President

Partner organizations joining SBA District office to bring e200 to Dallas were:

• City of Dallas
• North Texas Small Business Development Center Network
• Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce
• Greater Dallas Asian American Chamber of Commerce
• Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
• Minority Business Development Agency, U.S. Department of Commerce
• SCORE, Dallas Chapter 22
• State of Texas

For more information about all of the SBA’s programs for small businesses, visit the SBA’s extensive Web site at www.sba.gov.