[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 70 (Friday, May 23, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5102-S5103]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    OUTSTANDING NM SMALL BUSINESSES

  Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I rise to honor New Mexico's outstanding 
small businesses and small business advocates as selected by the U.S. 
Small Business Administration. I will not be able to attend the awards 
luncheon but I do want to recognize the significant accomplishments of 
these New Mexican entrepreneurs.


             NEW MEXICO SMALL BUSINESS PERSONS OF THE YEAR

  The top SBA award this year goes to Mary Jean and Andrew 
Christiansen, owners of Elite Laundry Co. in Gallup, NM, who were 
selected as New Mexico Small Business Persons of the Year. The 
Christensen's are among the 53 top small businesses owners in the 
Nation who will be honored by the SBA in Washington, DC, later this 
year.
  The Christiansens have created more than 70 jobs in a region of New 
Mexico that has one of the highest poverty rates in the nation. This 
family owned small business is also providing profit-sharing and 
retirement benefits, in a state where 71 percent of private sector 
employees have no pensions.


                       1997 EXPORTER OF THE YEAR

  New Mexico recently received word from the Commerce Department that 
it has seen a 112 percent growth in exports, including a remarkable 
256-percent increase in trade with Asia. These achievements would not 
have been possible without the hard work and savvy of business-owners 
such as Kimberly de Castro, the 1997 New Mexico Exporter of the Year.
  Ms. de Castro is the owner of Wildflower International Ltd., in Santa 
Fe, which provides brokering services to foreign buyers. Based on 
buyers' initial inquiries, Wildflower International researches the 
marketplace and provides buyers with options that meet their 
requirements. The trade company currently exports to China, Israel, 
Italy and Egypt and is actively negotiating sales in Taiwan and several 
other Asian countries.


                      1997 ADVOCATE AWARD WINNERS

  Small business owners and entrepreneurs need champions who believe in 
what they're doing and give them advice, encouragement and assistance.
  Michael G. Murphy, the assistant business editor for the Albuquerque 
Journal, is the 1997 New Mexico Media Advocate of the Year and also the 
1997 Region VI Media Advocate of the Year. Previously the editor of the 
Albuquerque Business Times, Mr. Murphy has reported on issues and 
initiatives that have been informative and useful to the small business 
community as well as governmental officials.
  The New Mexico Women in Business Advocate of the Year is Jennifer A. 
Craig, regional manager of the Women's Economic Self Sufficiency Team 
Office in Las Cruces. WESST Corp. is a nonprofit business and technical 
assistance organization that focuses on women and minority 
entrepreneurs. Since the Las Cruces office opened in 1995, more than 
250 women have received assistance and more than 50 have started or 
developed their own businesses.
  Teresa O. Molina, a vice president of 1st New Mexico Bank in Deming, 
has been selected as the New Mexico Financial Services Advocate. Ms. 
Molina is active in SBA lending and through her efforts, 1st New Mexico 
Bank awarded the first SBA 504 loan in my home State.
  The 1997 New Mexico Minority Small Business Advocate is Anna Muller, 
the owner of NEDA Business Consultants in Albuquerque. Ms. Muller was a 
national leader in the effort to preserve and improve the SBA 8(a) 
Minority Enterprise Development program.


              1997 SUBCONTRATOR AND CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR

  Dennis A. Reasner, president of Albuquerque's Darco Products, Inc., 
is the 1997 Region VI Subcontractor of the Year. Armando De La Paz, 
president and CEO of Vista Technologies, Inc., in Albuquerque is the 
1997 Region VI Prime Contractor of the Year.
  Small businesses are the engine of New Mexico's--and the Nation's--
economic growth. I commend these small business owners and advocates 
for their desire and commitment to create new jobs and new economic 
opportunities in

[[Page S5103]]

New Mexico. We must raise the standard of living in my State and one 
concrete way to accomplish this is by fostering the development of 
small businesses that provide good wages and good benefits for their 
employees.

                          ____________________