Jim Cooper's Orange County; 526; Black History: The Achievements; Tape Number 37

Jim Cooper's Orange County is made possible by grants from Disneyland Park announcing its new attractions Star Tour is now boarding passengers for a space flight adventure by signal landmark incorporated developer of Southern California real estate and builder of Landmark homes and by Robert have an account temps providing permanent and temporary accounting financial and EDP personnel with offices in Newport Beach and throughout Southern California. Among the important benefits of observances like Black History Month are the national holiday for Dr. Martin Luther King is the requirement for all America to make annual assessments on the condition of all minorities in the fabric of our national life. Each year there are reminders that discrimination and injustice still exist in housing jobs and educational opportunities. But there are also positive figures for betterment in achievement and racial goals. One of those positive reports is that black on private business is increased in America by 47 percent between 177 and 1982. Today there are 600000 minority owned businesses in America and 25 percent of those are

in Southern California. I'm Jim Cooper and today I look at black history in Orange County where the spotlight on achievement in the business arena. In Orange County where unemployment stands at only 4 percent black unemployment is 6 percent and black teenage unemployment is about 17 percent. Many black residents in Orange County are important role models for youth however and many local black to those now are

conspicuously represented in the professions in education and the corporate and private business operations. Today I'll talk about some of those business achievement with special guests. But first let's look at a major project Minority Business Opportunity day which took place this week in Anaheim. Now in its 16th year the minority business opportunity day trade fair held this Tuesday in Anaheim with attended by 450 minority business men and women mostly from Orange County. The objective was to meet with purchasing executives of a hundred thirty eight Southern California corporations who could be buyers of what the minority entrepreneurs offer to sell the fair alternates each year between Los Angeles and Orange County. This is the sixth time that has taken place in Orange County. Another group the Orange County Regional purchasing Council help in sponsoring the event attended by more than 600 minority business people. The corporations which privately joined together to sponsor the trade fair ranged from giant aerospace and electronics firms to insurance food service manufacturing and cosmetic

companies. Those were staffed by purchasing officers and personnel executives at the corporations who are potential buyers of the minority businesses company products. All those books cost several hundred dollars for the corporation's the fee was only $25 for any minority business person to attend. The idea is to create a single form place for black Hispanic Asian or American Indian businesspeople to make contacts to be followed up later to develop new accounts. The largest number of minority entrepreneurs were among the growing numbers of successful black and Hispanic business owners in Orange County. I talk to some of them. Jim Espinosa is president of the Orange Coast Electric Supply Company headquartered in Santa Ana. He came to his first faire in 1980 and that helped him started a business. What is it meant to you to come to this fair and how did it help you as a Hispanic businessman starting out. In 1980 we were in the middle of a recession and I started in an Electric Supply Company with an area that I had a lot of experience and but I didn't have any

customers at the time that I started so I attended the first minority opportunity day that I was invited to at that time and made several contacts and in the weeks that I followed up I got substantial business from several of the companies that we see here today. And I'm still getting business from today very simply what the value to these suppliers who come in reach one hundred thirty eight corporations here in one room today. It's enormous. Now where do you get to all the contacts that you make in there today but it saves you dollars in traveling expenses and it saves you hours in hours in time and without you don't have to make appointments or premade for you so it's just enormous. Jim Charlo is president and owner of Tron tech incorporated and aerospace and defense contractor even coming to these fairs and thousand eighty two. What's the biggest plus from the standpoint of the supplier. Well Jim I think one of the one of the biggest advantages for a company like mine is the opportunity to expose their wares and their capabilities just as a large number of

companies at one location at one time. What's in it for the 138 corporations that come here and employ the goods and services of all the suppliers. Well it's sort of a reverse of what I just said for myself. They in turn will find out what is available right now in the minority and the small business community. As far as capabilities are concerned mainly high tech. What about many minority business men who are trying to start out and again new accounts to gain new business. How important is this. I think this is a very very important format for those companies OK. I believe that the key here is perseverance perseverance and more perseverance to follow up on the leads. Did you say you can do as a minority businessman who had a start out and that and whatever a competitive business. How does it change your life. How does it help your life. I'll tell you being in business as a minority entrepreneurs has changed my life significantly from being in the corporate world. Here I

find that in addition to perseverance it's belief in faith. And that's very important. One of the corporations were manufacturers wholesalers or those in the building trade industry. The attitude of the corporations was one of openness and encouragement but competitiveness was a key word. The corporate people want to encourage purchases from minority businesses but they expect the services and products to be competitive with all suppliers. Some Orange County minority business firms say that 30 to 40 percent of their annual business comes from contacts that are made through the trade fair. Like Malcolm Smith is a plant manager for Coca-Cola foods and he's also a general chairperson for the whole event here today. What's the biggest motivating reason that you have for getting so involved in putting so much energy into this. But you know I think it's it's civic pride on the part of Coca-Cola foods that we have a chance here to develop some economic opportunity for the minority suppliers as as well as give them a chance to take a look at us. What way do you have of measuring the success of this whole

program of the hundred and thirty eight corporations involved here today. That's that's difficult to do because you don't measure it in dollars and cents you know measure the numbers of people that come. Probably the sellers measure it's not the amount of contacts that they make and it's more or less done on an individual basis. You can measure it somewhat by just the number of people that come back year after year after year. But companies and sellers. What about the all of the suppliers who come here all these years what is the biggest plus the biggest spin off for them. Well Or else can you meet a hundred and thirty eight people or companies and talk to the people that can make the decisions is whether or not they need their particular items. You don't do that by making sales calls or getting on the phone. The large turnout in professional approach at the minority business men and women present strong evidence of the growing communities of successful black Hispanic and Asian business people now located north county. Their numbers are clearly growing. What it all helpful for the 138 companies and corporations who are buyers of goods and

services. Was it productive for the four hundred fifty minority businesses who came to sell their wares. Well from the comments on both sides of the table today the answer was positive and enthusiastic. It was productive and well worth the continuing effort. Jim Cooper at the Minority Business Opportunity day trade fair in Anaheim. And I would a lot of fun. And now we're going to meet our guests James McFarlane is president of the Black Business Alliance of Orange County he was one of the founders when it was established in 1903 to promote black business development in Orange County. He's a sales representative for Digital Equipment Corporation and formerly Cohen to import importing companies. With his wife Wendell and Kay Tyson is manager of a business development program for Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Los Angeles. She's also chairperson of the board for the Southern California regional purchasing Council. She's on the executive board of the Black Women's Collective and a member of the Federation of Business and Professional Women. Al Dawson is a small and Disadvantaged Business Programs Manager for Ford air and air a neutron it program in Newport Beach.

He's also chair of the Orange County Regional purchasing Council. He studied international economics at the University of Heidelberg Germany and has 15 years experience as an advocate for Minority Business Development. Robert Miranda is co-owner of Miranda an assisted by associates Certified Public Accountants a USC graduate he started this firm with a partner seven years ago and they now employ 20 professionals in small business tax in accounting services. The chairman of the board of the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce and in Orange County United Way BOARD MEMBER Well we often think of many contributions of black people and of all minorities during Black History Month in the arts and music and the other contributions. But we this year want to focus on is achievement. What kind of achievements what kind of marks are being made by many many people in their business and corporate world which group particularly in Orange County. I think I'd like to start with you again because your organization today is having the business outlook for the 90s. The black ribbons alliance is having a business outlook for

the 90 that are that's going to actually have a black business. Exactly. What are you finding out from that. Well we're finding out several things one it's a combination of good news and bad news one we're in probably one of the most conducive areas of the country to start a business. Any type of business where you're a minority majority male female Orange County certainly has the credentials as being a very very lot of economic vitality a lot of economic vitality. We've heard statistics that far exceeding any other part of the country the workforce here showed a greater interest of being willing to work as their own employer start their own business I think that's like at 37 and 39 percent of the individuals that were surveyed in the one thousand eighty one thousand eighty five survey. So you have a very very vital area to work with. And our constituency which is a broad base of all types of businesses. Share and that enthusiasm the other side of the coin basically Jim is that it is traditionally or has been traditionally harder in

Orange County to start a business if you are a minority especially if you're black and that's strictly because of the historical background that Orange County has had perhaps culturally and racially and also from the standpoint of accessibility to traditional forms of financing capitalization and promotion advertising. And it's to that end that the Black Business Alliance of Orange County wants to try and help make a difference through networking through bringing to four more and more about those vital companies that are getting started here by minorities and also to network with the majority community to make sure it is well known. The expertise to we have in so many different areas. I think a 65 page book that your organization puts out. Yes I was very impressed with the 65 pages of minority businesses. Right we do that I want to read we do that annually and it's part of the service that we've dedicated ourselves to this community and that is one basically let others amongst ourselves also let others know that there is a sizable

amount. Black owned and operated businesses in Orange County that they represent not only just your traditional mom and pop stores but some very very innovative and creative business some very sophisticated Exactly exactly and it's important to know because it I think it you can get to the delusion or at least a feeling that most businesses that are in Orange County either are not visible or of the small of variety that don't represent some of the more attractive businesses that we've gone that if we were doing this show 20 years ago I would not be holding in my hand the directory with 65 pages of black and that minority Banaba have it all one we have it in two page there is like you say black good news and bad news the least that's on the good news. What about your feeling about this. You must feel pretty good about the big turnout you had at the at the minority business opportunities. Oh I feel. I can even voice the word for dad. Each year when we hold the train fares it it's like it's outstanding to see how large numbers continually grow. You know

the one good thing I can reiterate what Germans say at this is see how many new businesses that are coming out in something like new companies I should say of smaller disadvantaged business companies that are coming out and ever in the whole spectrum of the business community. That's right and they're getting away from the basic And that is strictly and I should say and services there in high tech. High tech high tech which is a very has been a very difficult area. The thing I was impressed about walking around there with the 600 people there I was in Number one the big turnout but the degree of sophistication of the services and goods that were being offered. We're not talking about a Florida florist shop here we're talking about if you look at make electronic components and do them well and competitively that's what I meant about high tech and now with the you know you're in the corporate world or in the tonic. So you know both sides of the aisle are both being in the corporate world but also what it's like to be on the outside to to make an appeal to to

sell your your wares or your goods and products what about that. Yes we have understood and tried to meet our role in increasing minority business development for a number of years internally within my company at Ford aerospace. We are concentrating on the larger volume commitments. We are looking at the high tech side of it and we are finding these type of suppliers in Orange County and elsewhere. But you wouldn't find it 20 years ago here that we probably would have found 20 years ago and of course I emphasis if it had a been an emphasis in that time frame on minority development would have been in other areas. But today weve seen a growing awareness of what its going to take to in a face what I understood as well as the commercial side of the marketplace in Southern California. Where do we go from here what is the run of the whole of the not just a minority business opportunity day but what are your hopes what are the vision that you see for you for your group.

Well one of the things that personally I have is that I would like to see the day come when we don't have to make a distinction between minority business or small business and that we in our society that looks upon business for business sake then you got to muster you don't cut the mustard That's right as it is. That's it. And but until we meet that particular objective or go we're going to have to strive for goals and objectives that's going to bring about this type of. And betterment in the marketplace. But that's what we like to see but I think we should make it clear this to some of the aerospace firms for example the big aerospace firms are mandated by government contract to make an effort to make a positive effort and affirmative action and also went out and purchasing. But a lot of the corporations that were there at this thing did not have to do that in other words they didn't have to be there on Tuesday. A cosmetic company doesn't have to make this effort and yet you had a big participation. OK what's the magic that you. Well I think that you have time for that. It's a good faith effort really a good effort. I can speak

from Coca-Cola. What we're doing is putting back into the minority community what we are taken out and therefore we strive on that and put emphasis on the good faith effort. And it's a real that's a real effort not a Sony effort you know productive in other words of course a couple of people I talked to said a couple of suppliers that they get as high as 30 and 40 percent of their annual business from coming you think and the follow ups not just become another one day but all the follow ups. That's a pretty impressive figure. Yes it is Jim. And you know I think there's Malcolm Smith point out early you know work and you find as many majority companies at a single gathering in a single day that you can it's such an event is this. It would take you years to cover one hundred forty some odd companies you know and here you have these people in under one roof in a day devoted especially for their best interests. So from a marketing point of view and there is as icebreaker as an intro into the corporate structure this is

an audio forum. We promote it and we think it's working. We have heard from you you started a business with the other one. One partner and I 20 other people as a minority business and how tough was it. It has been tough for that to do over again I probably would do it over again but it is a challenge to start your own business. I think the programs at the major corporations are going to reach out and work with minorities are very significant very impressive. But it gets down to the basics of the free enterprise system if you're competitive you're going to succeed and I think that's what's happening now through some of the activities of corporate America reaching out to work with minorities. That makes some sense in terms of the the social value but also have a narrative in the year because yes I have been and I got 20 you're hiring 20. That's correct. Tell me how many of your clients also minority businesses. Yes they are. We were using a lot of growth that way and absolutely we work with a lot of minority companies are just getting started we work with them in terms of their their development their financial needs their financial planning requirement so that they can be successful in in the main stream of the economy and you know

I think of the word role models in their work. There are lot of role models at this meeting and I'm sure they're at your place. I think of the downside. Our unemployment figures we are both in or in kind we only have 4 percent unemployment 6 percent among blacks but 17 percent among black youth. How does what we're doing what we're talking about to address to them. Well young man the young black man a young black girl I think to perhaps add a rounding out of this that we we all I think near other pride we have in the efforts that we work with and the community that we work with here in Orange County in Southern California in general but there are some very disturbing signs jam that are on the rise and that if we don't take your eye we're going to have some very very serious problems in the future for example about the continuous. Unemployment statistics not only blacks in general but the black youths which are are sometimes two and three times higher than the local unemployment statistics get almost three times three times higher

exactly Also there's some disturbing things from the support systems that businesses have to look at for example there's been a net decrease in the number of black college students over the last 20 years in this country. Statistically there is about 14 percent of the workforce in the United States to call themselves professional or managers in the black community. It's less than seven percent. So you know you have to kind of round out our our feeling of positiveness and expectation with the idea that things perhaps are not as good overall as we hoped. I think the comment was made there is more segregation in 1987 in the board room of corporate America than there ever was in the south in 1057 in the classroom. And those are very very important indications of how we're going to have to monitor our progress and be that much more aggressive. The end results of the way we see it from our organization from the life of this alliance is a fact is going to be more reliance on self-help. There's going to be more reliance on the quality

of the individual who chooses to run their own business they're going to have to have more support structures like the embryo D like the Black Prince alliance and Bob's group. We're going to have to be more more inventive about the way we choose to help our own fortunes in the future we're going to look to corporate America are going to look to inventive programs for the government. But we know that it's going to take primarily our own innovation and sweat and tears to make a lot of these things come to the fore. I'd like to read to all of you a quote from Ebony magazine on a server that they did. They said even a black president said it made a difference in the fabric of American society most of today's black students the young people running to make a greater impact than their predecessors are more concerned about financial success than mere titles or positions and see themselves as prosperous entrepreneurs. By the end of the century

OK when you pick up on that a little bit is that a valid. QUEST FOR MY lot of young black dude. Well I want to see my own personal opinion on that. I think it is I think the emphasis is today's and for cities I think is strickly away from the titles. I don't think so many of the students are concerned nowadays as we were I should say when I was in high school as far as getting the title first but now I work at a bank but what do you do it. That's right. Now I think because attrition is basically on the money. OK. Getting the money to go forth with it. And that means establishing a business that can show work and not so much as a title again. How do you have something to say about that. Well yes and entrepreneurship as a as a proper goal for a lot of young black people. Yes I certainly I am all for it because that's a career that I chose because I think it is. We cannot separate well-being today from the economic prosperity that we all enjoy. And

it's so much a part of the American dream to be an entrepreneur I suppose as apple pie or motherhood. We certainly want to set those type of raw images from where we are from where we're coming from today and hopefully inspire the youth tomorrow to be business people in their own right. It certainly is a worthy endeavor and we want to add that we can to make it work but it's worth way that it works both ways that's a tremendous contribution not only to black people getting where they should be and many a high high level corporate job but the contribution that comes back to society because of their being their statement itis or right that rising tide helps all boats that if you inspire anyone in the efforts of becoming all they can become then everyone gets to benefit Dr. Charles Drew who found out how to isolate and preserve blood plasma was a credit to saving thousands of lives and societies World War 2. And yeah exactly and that saved not only black

lives it's a white lives saved lives all over the world. So you have to have ways of inspiring and giving perhaps some innovative ways of encouraging people to do some of the things which perhaps we call on cheaper newer ship but. Following the lines of creativity and innovation. And that's a contribution that is every bit as an important contribution to talking about contribution and literature and the arts and the kind of things that we that I think one thing that we don't want to miss Jim is that out of all of this the entrepreneurial spirit does impact on the labor force and we are an age and we're rapidly moving toward an even greater age of technology where jobs are will be a supply. And it's from the entrepreneurial spirit the small businesses minority businesses that's going to impact the labor forces of tomorrow and give us those jobs that's going to mean something to the family structure. Robert what would you like to say to young a lot of young Hispanic men and women who maybe have been hesitant to try out becoming an entrepreneur.

Well I think it's exciting to see that the youth are looking more toward business as opportunities and opposed to just getting into a corporate environment and staying there through them through their retirement. So I would encourage and the opportunity certainly there they have to you know apply themselves I think have to do in any career path but I would certainly encourage them. A lot of the survey recently asked many corporate executives who are black. This question about how would you describe the attitude of your corporate opportunities in other words are you stymied when you get up so high or can you go on up. And 59 percent of them said that the attitude they see in the corporate climate of their corporations was indifferent. Forty one said pattern izing 40 percent said reluctant to accept blacks and only 24 percent were encouraging black to move up that corporate ladder. Any one of you want to come pick up on that. I'll just say just basically I think we're finding in today's present business environment with the onslaught of all shore countries getting very very much into a lot of the businesses that are productive. Corporate America is closing ranks and is doing a lot of

things for their own preservation. You could our doors the black being close up the ladder I think it's not necessarily close it's based upon the fact that it is no longer a tendency to look to where those goals when you get to that level to try and meet. There certainly are the entry levels and perhaps wanted to steps into it but at the higher levels I think it is basically I think insensitive was one of the terms are you is I think is definitely an OK. What about that. I'm going to say and different because I don't know the Constitution nowadays is so much on the ethnic group period. Man that a lot of the corporations are cutting back and tighten their belts. What are we to say about black women on the way up. Any advice to them. Yes keep on going and don't stop. Establish high goals and objectives and achieve and achieve them. On that note our time is almost up and I do want to thank all of you for your comments on black business opportunities in this year of 1987. A lot better than what about 20 years ago.

Please join me next week at the same time when I'll have a my special guest Mark Fong you Secretary of State for California. I'm Jim Cooper thanks for being with us. Jim Cooper's Orange County is made possible by grants from Disneyland Park announcing

its new attractions Star Tours now boarding passengers for a space flight adventure by signal landmark incorporated developer of Southern California real estate and builder of Landmark homes and by Robert have an account Thames providing permanent and temporary accounting financial and EDP personnel with offices in Newport Beach and throughout Southern California.