Senate Floor Speech
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
July 24, 2000 -- Page: S7472

RECOGNITION OF EXPO 2000,
A BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY MARKETPLACE

MRS. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I rise to recognize the Houston Minority Business Council and the other groups and individuals who are now preparing for 'EXPO 2000, a Business Opportunity Marketplace,' to be held on August 31, 2000, in the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. This annual event is Texas' largest minority business trade fair and offers a meeting ground for corporations seeking to identify experienced minority entrepreneurs.

Over the last decade, the number of minority owned businesses grew in the U.S. by an impressive 168 percent. These businesses generate half a trillion dollars in revenue and employ nearly four million workers. This success has been in large measure due to the efforts of groups like the Houston Minority Business Council and the dedicated individuals throughout Texas and this nation who seek to expand economic opportunities for all Americans.

The EXPO has been an outstanding example of such efforts, and has opened the doors of the marketplace by successfully pairing minority business owners with representatives from more than 220 local and national companies. The event provides these minority entrepreneurs with direct marketing opportunities with corporations, government agencies and educational and financial institutions that need capable contractors to support their missions. The EXPO has produced real results, with two thirds of participants reporting having obtained contracts for as much as two million dollars within a year of the event.

I have worked hard in the U.S. Senate to build upon efforts like this to expand Federal contracting opportunities to small and disadvantaged business entrepreneurs. I have helped lead the efforts to defend programs such as the 8 (a) Federal business development program, worked to curb the `bundling' of Federal contracts that hurt small businesses, and I have served as a champion of Small Business Development Centers, which assist small businesses in getting the capital and assistance needed to get started and expand.

I again commend the organizers, supporters, and participants of EXPO 2000. These fine men and women represent the best of Texas' entrepreneurial, hard-working and neighborly spirit. I wish them all much future success, and I look forward to continuing to work with them to ensure that all Americans share in the fruits of our economic prosperity.