OPPORTUNITIES IN THE QUAD CITIESSMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND FINANCE

AGENDA

OPPORTUNITIES IN THE QUAD CITIESSMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND FINANCE

FRIDAY OCTOBER 258:30 am - 3:00 pm

DAVENPORT, IOWA

RADISSON HOTEL 111 EAST 2ND ST.

OPPORTUNITIES IN THE QUAD CITIESSMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND FINANCE

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

WELCOME

AGENDA

8:45 a.m. Welcome and Introductions

Marva WilliamsFederal Reserve Bank of Chicago

Nanci Perkins Latino Connection

10:30 a.m. Panel of Technical Assistance Providers

Moderator: Vicky MillerIllinois Procurement Technical Assistance Center at Black Hawk College

Maureen Hart - Project NOWMark Hunt - Bi-State Regional CommissionRedmond Dellmar Jones II - Minority Construction CouncilDennis Larkin - Cedar Rapids Small Business Administration OfficeMichelle Lewis - Illinois International TradeSusan Longworth - Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Bill Martin Sr. - Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce and Quad Cities FirstBeth White - Center for Industrial Research and Service at Iowa State UniversityJoel Youngs - Small Business Development Center of Black Hawk College

9:00 a.m. Panel of Entrepreneurs

Moderator: Nanci PerkinsLatino Connection

Maria Carrillo - Mexicano Restaurante y Tienda MexicanaRoberto Carrillo - Mexicano Restaurante y Tienda Mexicana Ramon Rosales - Rosales Lawn Care and LandscapingRamon Rosales Jr. - Rosales Lawn Care and LandscapingChristina Sanchez - Country Style Ice Cream and CoffeeAndray Swift - Swift and Swift, LLC

10:00 a.m. Introduction of Resource Tables

Lynda CarlsonFirst Midwest Bank

10:10 a.m. Break

OPPORTUNITIES IN THE QUAD CITIESSMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND FINANCE

Nanci PerkinsLatino Connection

12:30 p.m. Keynote Speaker

Introduction: Lee VasquezGreater Quad Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Robert OntiverosChairman and FounderGroup O

2:15 p.m. Closing Speaker

Introduction: Nanci PerkinsLatino Connection

Janet MasamotoPresidentJTM

Marva WilliamsFederal Reserve Bank of Chicago

3:00 p.m. Closing

1:15 p.m. Introduction of Lenders

Moderator: Stella SchneeklothProject NOW

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

12:00 p.m. Lunch

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Robert OntiverosChairman 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 CITIESSMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND FINANCE

CLOSING SPEAKER

THANK YOU

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 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 CITIESSMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND FINANCE

NOTES

OPPORTUNITIES IN THE QUAD CITIESSMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND FINANCE