Forum expected to help small businesses thrive

On Thursday, the Governor’s Small Business Forum will be held to bring local entrepreneurs and small business owners together to provide them with tools to thrive in a fast-paced economy.

One of the attendees will be the manager of Tortilleria Cuauhtemoc who is attending for the first time.

“It will be a new experience for me, but I hear really good things about seminars and forums like these and a lot of people travel from out of town to attend things like these,” Gonzalo Hernandez said.

The family business was started in 2002 with about five employees. It has now expanded to 30 employees and deliveries that span across El Paso and Las Cruces.

Over the years, Tortilleria Cuauhtemoc has added tortilla chips and ingredients to make tamales as part of the products they sell.

“What makes us unique is our quality control. My dad (owner) has always been really strict with the way we manufacture the tortillas,” Hernandez said.

The Governor’s Office and the City of El Paso’s Economic Development Department are hosting this year’s small business forum.

It’s designed to provide entrepreneurs and small businesses owners with timely, relevant, actionable advice to assist them in growing their business.

Hernandez said he expects to attend seminars.

“I think I can benefit from the sessions and help us make better decisions to run the business more smoothly,” Hernandez said.

In a guest column for The El Paso Times earlier this month, Governor Greg Abbott said more than nine in 10 businesses in Texas are small businesses and employ nearly half of all private sector employees.

According to Abbott, Texas also leads the nation for jobs created by Hispanic business owners and Hispanic women entrepreneurs.

“I think small business in El Paso should be looked at and not overseen, there is a lot of potential here. There’s a market for everything,” Hernandez said.

Tortilleria Cuauhtemoc is located at 809 Westway Blvd. in Canutillo, TX

The forum will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the El Paso Convention Center.