Page 4a- -Minority Business Enterprises October 10, 1990
SOME PEOPLE NEED
HELP BEING FAIR
That’s where we step in. At the Bureau of Labor &
Industries, we work to protect the rights of Oregonians.
We enforce wage and hour laws and promote skilled
training through apprenticeship. We are committed to
equal opportunity and your right to a discrimination-free
workplace.
BUREAU OF LABOR & INDUSTRIES
Mary Wendy Roberts,
Commissioner
Civil Rights Division
Wage and Hour Division
Support Services Division
Apprenticeship & Training Division
1400 SW 5th ♦ Portland, Oregon ♦ 229-5735
The State of Oregon's Office of Minority,
Women and Emerging Small Businesses
The Office of Minority, Women
an d E m erg in g Sm all B u sin ess
(OM W ESB), located in the State of
O regon's Executive Department, is re­
sponsible for the certification of disad­
vantaged, women and minority firms
and emerging small businesses. These
program s are designed to promote eco­
nomic opportunities to small businesses
in the State o f Oregon.
A Disadvantaged Business
(D B E ) is one that meets the criteria set
by the U.S. Department of Transpor-
tatin. A Disadvantaged Business is one
that is at least 51% owned by one or
more ethnic minorities or women. The
disadvantaged person must have the
pow er to make the day-to-day and
m anagem ent decisions for the firm. The
contribution of capital or expertise must
be real and substantial by the disadvan­
taged owner. Certification as a DBE
enables minority and women small
businesses to participate in federally-
funded targeted contracting and pur­
chasing program s which ensure fair and
equal opportunity.
The Emerging Small Business
(ESB) program was established as a
result of the January, 1989 Richmond
vs. Croso, Supreme Court decision which
ruled that set-asides for minority and
wom en-ow ned businesses as previously
established by state and local govern­
m ents were unconstitutional. Rather
than pursuing special studies regarding
the effects o f discrimination and w ait­
ing for the results of those studies, which
may or may no have produced the neces­
sary information, the State o f Oregon
chose instead, to move toward new di­
rections with the specific intent of sur­
facing other tools and untapped oppor­
tunities. The Emerging Small Business
Program assists ESBs in overcoming
barriers which resulted from the Croson
decision and assists small businesses in
entrance to the economic mainstream.
The Emerging Small Business
(ESB) program provides an affirmative
opportunity to all econom ically disad­
vantaged firms regardless o f race or sex.
Many m inority-owned businesses qual­
ify under this new criteria.
An Emerging Small Business
must m eet the following criteria:
■A business with its principal place of
business located in the state
•A business with average annual gross
receipts over the last three years not
exceeding $2 million for construction
firms and $700,000 for non-construc­
tion firms
The Hotline may be accessed by dialing
1-800-422-U-ASK (8275).
C e rtifie d
D isa d v a n ta g e d ,
W omen, Minority and Em erging Small
Businesses are listed by OM W ESB in a
directory which is circulated to over 125
subscribers and carried on-line in the
State Library system. The directory is
published quarterly and is used by prime
contractors and by public jurisdictions
in establishing contract goals on spe­
cific projects. The directory is a valu­
able marketing tool lor small businesses.
The Office of Minority, Women
and Emerging Small Business now serves
as a major clearinghouse and referral
A Disadvantaged Business
is one that is least Sl%
owned by one or more
e th n ic m in o rities or
women.
Lina Garcia-Seabold,
Advocate for Minority,
Women and Emerging Small
Businesses
•A business with less than 20 em ployees
•An independent business
•A business properly licensed and le­
gally registered in this state
The 1989 legislative body en ­
acted changes in the law which allow
public agencies to require bidders to
subcontract work to ESBs located in
"economically depressed areas" of the
state. The geographic boundaries arc
currently being determined but plan to
include such areas as W oodburn and
Inner North-Northeast Portland.
The goal is to award a sustan-
tial percentage of the products and serv­
ices purchased by agencies to Emerging
Small Businesses in targeted geographic
areas or hiring their workforce from
those targeted areas to create new job
opportunities in those communitcs and
promote economic growth.
In coordination with the O re­
gon Economic Development Department
and the Oregon Department of Trans­
portation a toll-free Hotline to answer
question•> about setting up and running
small businesses has been developed.
service for information needed by small
businesses, including small busincsseslo-
cated in economically depressed areas.
The OMWESB staff actively
conduct outreach activities with various
organizations including attendance at
trade fairs and guest speaking at confer­
ences statewide. Staff appear on televi­
sion and in newspapers and periodicals
to promote economic equity for women
and minorities.
The Staff at OMWESB includes:
Lina Garcia-Seabold, Advocate for
Minority, W omen and Emerging Small
Business (bilingual); Richard Acevedo,
Manager; Leslie Hurst, Certification
Specialist; Susan Panck, Ccrtfication
Specialist; Lydia Muniz, Certification
Specialist (bilingual); Jesus Borboa,
Ccrliticauon Specialist (bilingual); Susan
Edmonds, Administrative Assistant;
Anita Engstrom, Secretary.
The Office of Minority, Women
and Emerging Small Business invites
your inquiries. Please contact the office
by phone, mail or in person a t :
Office of Minority, Women and
Emerging Small Business
Executive Department
155 Cottage St. N.E.
Salem, Oregon 97310
378-5651
ARE YOU
PREPARED
TO TAKE
ADVANTAGE
OF THESE
OPPORTUNITIES?
TIIE OFFICE OF
MINORITY, WOMEN
AND EMERGING
SMALL BUSINESS
SUPPORTS
MINORITY
OWNED
BUSINESSES
IN
OREGON
w,
are pleased to announce that in addition to
certification, the Office of Minority, Women and
Emerging Small Business (OM W ESB) now serves as a
major clearinghouse and referral service for information
needed by small businesses, including small businesses
located in certain targeted areas such as North and
Northeast Portland.
T h e Emerging Small Business Program (ESB) provides
an affirmative opportunity to all certified firms. ESB
contracts will be awarded to certified ESBs located in or
drawing their workforce from the local community where
the project is located. Additionally, “First Opportunity”
for employment opportunities on public contracts will be
provided to local residents.
Please contact our office for information regarding:
♦DBE/ESB CERTIFICATION
•BONDING
•CONTRACTING/EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
•NETWORKING RESOURCES
•FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE INFORMATION
(VENTURE CAPITAL, LOANS, ETC.)
TECHNICAL MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE
OMWESB , in coordination with the Oregon
F or the convenience
of the businesses in
the Portland metro
area, a satellite office
is located at the
Oregon Association
of Minority
Entrepreneurs
(236-1190)
An OMWFSB Staff
person is available to
personally assist you
Economic Development Department and Oregon
Department of Transportation, encourages the use of a
Toll-free Hotline to answer questions about setting-up
and running a small business. The Hotline may be
accessed by dialing 1 -8 0 0 -4 4 2 -8 2 7 5
STATE OF OREGON OFFICE OF
MINORITY, WOMEN AN D EMERGING SMALL BUSINESS
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
155 COTTAGE STREET NE,
SALEM, OREGON 9 7 3 1 0
( 5 0 3 )3 7 8 5651