Engineer Carlos Beltran shows blueprints of a project at Dynamic Consulting Engineers in Imperial on Tuesday. (JOSELITO VILLERO PHOTO) |
A native of the Valley, Carlos Beltran said there never was a question of his return after graduating from college. Upon returning to the Valley, a boom in development projects also meant that Beltran did not have any trouble finding work, he said.
Employed as a civil engineer since 2000, Beltran said he eventually came to the realization that he could equally provide potential clients with similar services at a reasonable price. With the assistance of a partner and his brother David, Beltran founded Dynamic Consulting Engineers in 2008.
While the Imperial-based firm was started with “nothing,” they did have a “good game plan,” Beltran said, adding that such planning is essential for any would-be business owner to have. Venturing out on his own also came with considerable risk, Beltran said, especially when the economy took a turn for the worse.
“We took a big risk when we first started,” he said. “We had families and mortgages to worry about.”
Yet over the years the firm has grown from three full-time employees to nine, including three additional part-time employees.
As Latinos continue to open businesses at a rate greater than that of the rest of the U.S. population — 43 percent between 2002 and 2007, compared to a national rate of 18 percent — growth in professional services has likewise shown signs of promise.
Calling it an area of “new growth,” more Latino-owned financial service and professional consulting firms are sprouting in California, said Julian Canete, president and chief executive officer of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce.
Here in the Valley, retail trade made up 20 percent, or 509 of the 2,441 businesses counted in 2007 by the Census Bureau. Health care and social services amounted to 11 percent or 269 establishments, while food services and accommodation made up 10 percent or 260 establishments.
While the percentage of Hispanic-owned local businesses may seem impressive — 52 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau — the numbers don’t tell the whole story.
“It’s pretty obvious the professional sector doesn’t have the proper representation that the (Latino) population should have,” said Aaron Popejoy, Imperial County Joint Chambers of Commerce chairman.
Although there seems to be momentum building, it has taken nearly 30 years to get to the point where Hispanics are now found in management and ownership positions for white collar professions in the Valley, Popejoy said.
Too often, an individual will leave to pursue higher education and not return to a skilled professional career in the Valley, he said, adding that such an exodus has also left many professional management positions vacant.
“Who better to do it than those who represent the majority in Imperial County,” Popejoy said.
Citing just one example, the ratio of family physicians to families in the Imperial County suggests there are plenty of career opportunities for those who want to pursue a medical profession, Popejoy said.
“If I was to recommend one career path it would be a doctor,” Popejoy said. “They’re not going to have to wait for a job.”
Staff Writer, Copy Editor Julio Morales can be reached at 760-335-4665 or at jmorales@ivpressonline.com.
Employed as a civil engineer since 2000, Beltran said he eventually came to the realization that he could equally provide potential clients with similar services at a reasonable price. With the assistance of a partner and his brother David, Beltran founded Dynamic Consulting Engineers in 2008.
While the Imperial-based firm was started with “nothing,” they did have a “good game plan,” Beltran said, adding that such planning is essential for any would-be business owner to have. Venturing out on his own also came with considerable risk, Beltran said, especially when the economy took a turn for the worse.
“We took a big risk when we first started,” he said. “We had families and mortgages to worry about.”
Yet over the years the firm has grown from three full-time employees to nine, including three additional part-time employees.
As Latinos continue to open businesses at a rate greater than that of the rest of the U.S. population — 43 percent between 2002 and 2007, compared to a national rate of 18 percent — growth in professional services has likewise shown signs of promise.
Calling it an area of “new growth,” more Latino-owned financial service and professional consulting firms are sprouting in California, said Julian Canete, president and chief executive officer of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce.
Here in the Valley, retail trade made up 20 percent, or 509 of the 2,441 businesses counted in 2007 by the Census Bureau. Health care and social services amounted to 11 percent or 269 establishments, while food services and accommodation made up 10 percent or 260 establishments.
While the percentage of Hispanic-owned local businesses may seem impressive — 52 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau — the numbers don’t tell the whole story.
“It’s pretty obvious the professional sector doesn’t have the proper representation that the (Latino) population should have,” said Aaron Popejoy, Imperial County Joint Chambers of Commerce chairman.
Although there seems to be momentum building, it has taken nearly 30 years to get to the point where Hispanics are now found in management and ownership positions for white collar professions in the Valley, Popejoy said.
Too often, an individual will leave to pursue higher education and not return to a skilled professional career in the Valley, he said, adding that such an exodus has also left many professional management positions vacant.
“Who better to do it than those who represent the majority in Imperial County,” Popejoy said.
Citing just one example, the ratio of family physicians to families in the Imperial County suggests there are plenty of career opportunities for those who want to pursue a medical profession, Popejoy said.
“If I was to recommend one career path it would be a doctor,” Popejoy said. “They’re not going to have to wait for a job.”
Staff Writer, Copy Editor Julio Morales can be reached at 760-335-4665 or at jmorales@ivpressonline.com.
