'How To Reach Hispanic Contractors' Discussed At HIRI Spring Conference
Not all Hispanics working in construction are undocumented immigrants working at trade labor levels, said Rick Schwolsky, editor-in-chief of El Nuevo Constructor, a Spanish-language magazine distributed to 35,000 Hispanic and Latin contractors. Schwolsky and Alejandra Quevedo, managing editor of El Nuevo Constructor, discussed Hispanic contractors, their impact on the construction industry and how best to influence them at the Home Improvement Research Institute's annual spring conference in Washington, D.C.
Hispanic-owned construction firms generated annual sales of $21.9 billion in 2000, according to the 2000 U.S. Census. In 2003, 100 of the top 500 Hispanic businesses were construction companies, according to Hispanic Business Magazine, Schwolsky said. The magazine also reported that of the 100 fastest growing Hispanic businesses, 20 were construction companies.