Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs met recently with the Hispanic Business Initiative Fund\u2019s (HBIF) board of directors to discuss accomplishments and opportunities to support the region\u2019s Hispanic small business community.<\/p>\n
HBIF is a nonprofit economic development organization that serves Orange County\u2019s Hispanic business owners by providing quality bilingual business development and training services to help strengthen their business and Florida\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n
HBIF has helped thousands of Hispanic entrepreneurs since its inception and will celebrate its 25th anniversary next year. HBIF is headquartered at the state-of-the-art National Entrepreneur Center, which is located at the Orlando Fashion Square Mall.<\/p>\n
\u201cHBIF serves as a catalyst for success in Orange County by promoting the economic and social well-being of our entire business community,\u201d Mayor Jacobs said. \u201cHBIF strengthens the economy of Florida through quality business development training and support for our Hispanic entrepreneurs.\u201d<\/p>\n
HBIF President and CEO Augusto Sanabria and Vice President Gaby Ortigoni attended the meeting and were accompanied by statewide and regional members of the HBIF board.<\/p>\n
As of 2011, one out of five businesses in the Orlando area is Hispanic-owned and 29 percent of Orange County’s population is of Hispanic heritage. In recognition of this economic impact, the Board of County Commissioners allocated over $123,000 to the HBIF in 2014.<\/p>\n
Hispanic businesses in Orange County continue to expand and thrive helping to diversify Central Florida\u2019s economy. Last year, Tit\u00e1n Products of Puerto Rico, a subsidiary of Empresas Barsan, established a new distribution center in Orange County, which serves Florida supermarkets with more than 200 products, including frozen foods, grains, and non-perishable goods. Additionally, the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico held a groundbreaking ceremony for its extensive building expansion in May 2014.<\/p>\n