This is an archived site
This site contains information from September 2006 - August 2020. Visit the current MBDA.gov site.

Virginia Entrepreneur Makes Connection to Expand Business Opportunities

Image(s) included
Post a comment
Created on July 10, 2013
 

Jorge Lozano said he arrived in America from his native Bolivia when he was 10 years old with a suitcase full of clothes and pocket full of dreams. Today, 50 years later, Lozano is the President and CEO of Condortech Services, Inc., an integrated security solutions company that protects over $1.8 billion in assets in Washington, D.C.

In his 2013 State of the Union speech, President Obama outlined his vision for making America a magnet for investment, innovation, and economic growth. He said that if we are going to keep our economy growing, we need to ensure that opportunities to prosper are open to all the innovative risk-takers and entrepreneurs who are pursuing the American dream, especially our minority business entrepreneurs.

Lozano, a client of the Minority Business Development Agency’s (MBDA) Federal Procurement Center in Washington, D.C., took that risk and made his American dream come true—and he’s not done yet.

He recently accompanied former Acting Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank on an infrastructure business development trade mission to Brazil, Colombia, and Panama. The purpose of the trip was to promote U.S. exports by helping U.S. companies in infrastructure sectors make the connections they need to expand their business opportunities in the three countries.

“Participating in the Department of Commerce’s trade mission was a very positive experience,” Lozano said. “The trip allowed me to meet many potential clients. It was a great business development marketing opportunity and the countries we visited were extremely eager to meet us.”

Lozano has not wasted time in fostering the business relationships built during the trip. Last month, in conjunction with the Colombian American Chamber of Commerce, he sponsored the 1st Annual International Technology and Security Conference at the U.S. Capitol’s Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC. Nearly 50 Colombian businessmen travelled to the U.S. and attended the event. On July 19, and in conjunction with the Colombian Embassy and the Alexandria, Va., Police Department, he’s also sponsoring the 1st Annual Colombian Defense Show at the Alexandria Masonic Temple.

“My goal is to continue reaching out to our neighbors in the south to help educate them on what my business technology provides,” Lozano said. “I encourage all other minority business owners to seriously consider exporting their business product abroad. This is a great opportunity for our American companies to create more jobs here in the U.S. while also expanding our business globally.”

Combined with cultural knowledge and familiarity with local business practices, MBDA clients are well suited for exporting, as evidenced by the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2007 Survey of Business Owners. Minority-owned businesses are twice as likely to export, three times more likely to boast international operations, and six times more likely to transact business in a language other than English.

The MBDA is the only Federal agency solely dedicated to the growth and global competitiveness of U.S. minority-owned businesses. Our programs and services better equip minority-owned firms to create jobs, build scale and capacity, increase revenues and expand regionally, nationally and internationally. To learn more, please visit www.mbda.gov.

Global Opportunities and New Markets

Global Opportunities and New Markets