asowah's blog
Don’t STOP, follow this minority business all the way to success
In 1972, Phil Archuleta started P&M Signs in the rural community of Mountainaire, New Mexico. Back then, Mr. Archuleta probably didn’t know his company would be one of MBDA’s first and longest-standing clients but now nearly 40 years later he’s seen his company grow substantially, more than doubling gross sales and hiring 30 new employees along the way.
Its minority entrepreneurs like Mr. Archuleta who inspired Representatives Mike Honda (D-CA), Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Dale Kildee (D-MI) to sponsor a resolution (H. Res. 215) to recognize MBDA and its network of business centers’ accomplishments, highlighting the importance of minority businesses on our economy.
MBDA Marks 40 Years Promoting Competitive Business Growth
On March 5, 1969, President Richard Nixon established what is today called the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) at the U.S. Department of Commerce. Over the last four decades, MBDA has promoted the establishment and growth of minority businesses in the United States. MBDA is the only federal agency tasked with advancing the competitiveness of minority businesses and throughout the year will be highlighting those minority businesses that have benefited from MBDA programs and the people and communities it has impacted.
MBDA prides itself on remarkable success. In 2008, the Agency ranked as one of the top three bureaus within the U.S. Department of Commerce and touched more than 25,000 minority businesses, in turn, they created more than 5,000 new jobs. In addition, MBDA programs generated $1.85 billion in terms of dollar value of contract and financial awards to minority businesses.
