Message from Armando A. Contreras, President & CEO

Dear Members:

As President & CEO of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce since 2009, I have been honored and blessed to serve on your behalf.

Hispanics are a vital and driving force in Arizona’s economic growth. Together, we are creating a business and consumer powerhouse worth $31 billion in 2009, approximately 16 percent of the total buying power in the state, and nationwide our community’s purchasing power is nearing $1 trillion.

Meanwhile, our organization’s research estimates that Arizona is now home to 50,000 Latino-owned businesses with tens of thousands of employees and billions in gross receipts. Nationally, it is estimated that the number of Latino-owned businesses will soon top 3 million companies.

Given our community’s growing economic contributions, it is clear the Latino community has become indispensable to the prosperity of every major sector of the state’s increasingly diverse marketplace.

As the person in charge of the AZHCC’s day-to-day operations, you have my pledge that our association will continue to serve as the state’s leading advocate for Hispanic-owned businesses by building internal capacity, fostering procurement opportunities and strategic partnerships, and providing the tools and resources you need to enhance your company’s success.

If you’re already a member of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, I thank you for your patronage. If you’d like to become a member, please do not hesitate to contact me directly for more information on how to join our association.

I look forward to working on your behalf.

Respectfully,

Armando A. Contreras
President and CEO, Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce