Opportunities in the Quad Cities Agenda

OPPORTUNITIES IN

THE QUAD CITIES

OPPORTUNITIES IN

SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND FINANCE

THE QUAD CITIES SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND FINANCE

FRIDAY OCTOBER 25

8:30 am - 3:00 pm

RADISSON HOTEL

111 EAST 2ND ST.

DAVENPORT, IOWA

AGENDA

OPPORTUNITIES IN

THE QUAD CITIES SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND FINANCE

WELCOME Dear Participants, I am very excited that you decided to spend part of your day with us at Opportunities in Quad Cities: Small Business Development and Finance. Today’s event is co-sponsored by the Community Development and Policy Studies (CDPS) division of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, the Greater Quad Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Black Hawk College, and Project NOW. Our goal is to introduce you to the world of small business development. You will meet entrepreneurs, leaders from agencies that provide technical assistance and finance, and small business lenders.

The Community Development and Policy Studies division of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago works to promote fair access to financial services and researches issues that impact consumer and community access to financial markets. Our responsibilities include bringing together financial institutions, economic development practitioners, and other interested parties to collaborate on initiatives involving business development. We also work to foster the engagement of depository institutions in providing credit and other banking services to their entire communities.

Thanks to the co-sponsors of this event, we have great panels of experts to present today. The Greater Quad Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Black Hawk College, and Project NOW also helped to market the event. A big thanks to Lynda Carlson of First Midwest Bank; Dean Kraus of First National Bank; Vicky Miller of the Illinois Procurement Technical Assistance Center of Black Hawk College; Lee Vasquez of the Greater Quad Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; and Andray Swift of Swift and Swift. I would like to thank Nanci Perkins, from Latino Connection, for her deep roots in the community.

I am excited to host such an accomplished array of panelists and speakers, and encourage you to take an active part in this event.

Sincerely, Marva Williams

AGENDA

8:45 a.m. Welcome and Introductions Marva Williams

Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

Nanci Perkins

Latino Connection

9:00 a.m. Panel of Entrepreneurs Moderator: Nanci Perkins Latino Connection

Maria Carrillo - Mexicano Restaurante y Tienda Mexicana Roberto Carrillo - Mexicano Restaurante y Tienda Mexicana Ramon Rosales - Rosales Lawn Care and Landscaping Ramon Rosales Jr. - Rosales Lawn Care and Landscaping Christina Sanchez - Country Style Ice Cream and Coffee Andray Swift - Swift and Swift, LLC

10:00 a.m. Introduction of Resource Tables Lynda Carlson

First Midwest Bank

10:10 a.m.

Break

10:30 a.m. Panel of Technical Assistance Providers Moderator: Vicky Miller

Illinois Procurement Technical Assistance Center at Black Hawk College Maureen Hart - Project NOW Mark Hunt - Bi-State Regional Commission Redmond Dellmar Jones II - Minority Construction Council Dennis Larkin - Cedar Rapids Small Business Administration Office Michelle Lewis - Illinois International Trade Susan Longworth - Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Bill Martin Sr. - Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce and Quad Cities First Beth White - Center for Industrial Research and Service at Iowa State University Joel Youngs - Small Business Development Center of Black Hawk College

OPPORTUNITIES IN

THE QUAD CITIES SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND FINANCE

12:00 p.m. Lunch

12:30 p.m. Keynote Speaker Introduction: Lee Vasquez

Greater Quad Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Robert Ontiveros

Chairman and Founder Group O

1:15 p.m.

Introduction of Lenders

Moderator: Stella Schneekloth

Project NOW

Lynda Carlson - First Midwest Bank Raquel Gallagher - Ascentra Credit Union Dean Kraus - First National Bank

2:15 p.m.

Closing Speaker

Introduction: Nanci Perkins

Latino Connection

Janet Masamoto President JTM

3:00 p.m. Closing Marva Williams

Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

Nanci Perkins

Latino Connection

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Robert Ontiveros

Chairman of Group O Companies Milan, Illinois

In 1974, after working for a family-owned packaging supply company, Robert Ontiveros decided to become an entrepreneur. He and his wife took a station wagon and began selling packaging material and equipment almost door to door. The couple’s first major customer was John Deere.

Today, Mr. Ontiveros is chairman of Group O Companies with 600 employees, three business segments and a holding corporation. The three businesses are Bi-State Packaging, R&O Specialties, and Group O Direct. Group O Companies was established in 1992 to provide the crossover, back-office functions of accounting, human resources, finance, and marketing for all company branches. And the customers include a wide range of industries.

Products and services include rebate redemption, direct mail and database management, call center services, kitting, fulfillment, printing, warehousing, industrial printing packaging materials, and distribution. In 2003, the company was named by Hispanic Business magazine as the number 55 Hispanic-owned business in the United States.

Group O was recommended for NMSDC’s Corporate Plus program by SBC Communications and has demonstrated capability of doing business on a national basis. Some of the company’s other clients are Altria, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Caterpillar, Dana, John Deere, Kraft Foods, Miller Brewing, Mitsubishi, and PepsiCo. Group O is very active in the community. It supports inner-city schools and the Junior Achievement Program, and was also instrumental in building a Boys and Girls Club in the community where Mr. Ontiveros grew up. He serves as the chairman of the Mark of the Quad Cities and was also named to the Junior Achievement Quad Cities Business Hall of Fame.

Robert Ontiveros is semi-retired, but his son, Gregg, is now the president of the company, and younger brother, Chris, is vice president. A native of Moline, Illinois, Mr. Ontiveros attended Moline Community College and the University of Cincinnati.

OPPORTUNITIES IN

THE QUAD CITIES SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND FINANCE

CLOSING SPEAKER

Janet Masamoto

President of JTM Rock Island, Illinois

JTM was started in 1994 by Janet Masamoto in Rock Island, Illinois. JTM started as an engineering and technical publications company, and has since added training and 3D application development to its list of services, providing innovative, concept-oriented solutions in information technology, technical publications, 3D visual simulations, training, and visual communications.

Janet Masamoto was awarded the Professional Citizen of the Year award, which is sponsored by the Rock Island Mayor and City Council. Ms. Masamoto has also been recognized for her extensive contributions to the city of Rock Island and to the Quad Cities.

THANK YOU

Thank you for attending Opportunities in the Quad Cities.

For more information about events and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, visit chicagofed.org.

For more information and conference materials, visit www.chicagofed.org/QuadCities.

NOTES

OPPORTUNITIES IN

THE QUAD CITIES SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND FINANCE

NOTES

OPPORTUNITIES IN

THE QUAD CITIES SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND FINANCE