[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 17786]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                  IN RECOGNITION OF I. MARTIN MERCADO

 Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the 
accomplishments of Mr. I. Martin Mercado, who will be presented today 
with the Small Business Administration's Minority Small Business Person 
of the Year Award. This prestigious award recognizes the vital role 
that minority-owned small businesses play in creating jobs and 
providing robust economic development in their communities. Mr. Mercado 
is the president of Mercado Construction in Albuquerque and is the 
perfect example of the important contributions that small business make 
to our economy.
  Mr. Mercado is one of seven children of immigrant parents who left 
their native country of Mexico in search of better opportunities for 
their children. Although they had little knowledge of American culture 
or language, they were able to provide their children with a good 
education and a bright future. I. Martin Mercado is a wonderful 
illustration of the American dream. Although he came from this humble 
background, he has built a successful business from the ground up.
  Mercado Construction began in 1994 with only $20,000 in cash and one 
employee. Mr. Mercado faced enormous difficulty in securing financing 
and credit because it was a start-up company. However, after the 
successful completion of several projects, Mercado Construction was 
able to demonstrate its ability and began to gain access to working 
capital. Through hard work and resolve, Mercado Construction has grown 
exponentially. It now has 23 employees and $4.8 million in revenues and 
has contributed to many important development projects in the 
Albuquerque and Rio Rancho communities.
  Equally important, Mercado Construction shares its success with other 
New Mexican small businesses. Mr. Mercado is an active member of the 
New Mexico 8(a) Association and frequently subcontracts with and 
purchases materials from other minority- and women-owned small 
businesses. In fact, over 50 percent of Mercado Construction's 
subcontractors are minority- and women-owned firms. Mercado 
Construction is also an active participant in the Albuquerque 
community. It has sponsored youth sports teams and contributes to 
several charities, such as the North Valley Little League and the Big 
Brothers/Big Sisters program.
  I wish to congratulate Mercado Construction and its president, Mr. I. 
Martin Mercado, on being named a Minority Small Business Person of the 
Year. I am grateful for their contribution to economic development and 
job creation in New Mexico, and I look forward to their continued 
growth and success.

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