GILROY
– As part of a strategic plan to expand its role in the Gilroy
business culture, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has moved to a
permanent First Street office location near Arteaga’s grocery
store.
GILROY – As part of a strategic plan to expand its role in the Gilroy business culture, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has moved to a permanent First Street office location near Arteaga’s grocery store.
Chamber President Tony Fuentes said the organization will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony in September at its new First and Hanna street office – the Hispanic Chamber’s first formal office space in its 23 years.
In past years, the Hispanic Chamber has used the office space of one of its board members to conduct business. For the last two years, a 10th Street and Chestnut Avenue location was used.
“We’re really thinking more creatively and strategically about where we want to be five years from now,” Fuentes said. “The move will really add to our visibility.”
The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has other high profile plans that go beyond location choice.
Fuentes said the chamber will be conducting televised seminars for business people and aspiring business operators.
It would work like this: the chamber hires an expert in their field to do a presentation on Gilroy’s public access television station, CMAP (Community Media Access Partnership).
Existing funds and business fostering grants would be used, Fuentes said, to hire the experts. They would speak on subjects such as marketing, organizational development, technology and human resources, Fuentes said.
The seminars would benefit anyone seeking business advice and would serve as a catalyst to recruit more Hispanic business owners and operators to join the chamber.
The Hispanic Chamber has roughly 225 members. Fuentes’ said the goal is to have more than 500 members some day.
“I think 500 plus members makes a strong group in a town this size,” Fuentes said.
