New Mexico small businesses celebrated at SBA award luncheon

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The U.S. Small Business Administration has been traveling across the nation to celebrate Small Business Week. On Friday Cabinet member Isabella Casillas-Guzman made a stop in Albuquerque for the SBA Luncheon.

City leaders and small business owners gathered at the National Hispanic Cultural Center to present for the ceremony.

“National small business week gives us the opportunity to honor and recognize the hard work, resiliency, adaptability and steadfastness of our New Mexico business owners and entrepreneurs,” said John Garcia, the SBA district director.

Garcia said New Mexico is home to 162,000 small businesses.

“We are excited to be celebrating a small business boom. We have seen in New Mexico alone 51,000 new business applications filed,” said Isabella Casillas-Guzman, the SBA Administrator and cabinet member.

Guzman also highlighted the different services the SBA offers to small business owners. They offer mentors, free advisors, and classes.

“Historical levels of infrastructure, we’ve seen billions of dollars already with over 200 projects started in New Mexico alone. Those are contracts for small businesses to build the roads and bridges and airports, and broadband infrastructure,” said Guzman.

She hopes ceremonies like the one held Friday afternoon encourage small business owners to continue their work.

“We want those small businesses out there to really know that there are people out there that are caring about their success and that we need them to be successful because our economy depends on them,” said the cbinet member.