HispanicBusiness

Fred Armendariz, an entrepreneur with several companies to his credit, has been chosen to head the Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Government Contracting and Business Development. As an associate deputy administrator at the SBA, Mr. Armendariz serves as the principal adviser to SBA Administrator Hector Barreto on government contracting and business development issues. He oversees the 8(a) Business Development Program, the HUBZone Empowerment Contracting programs, and the offices of Technology, Size Standards, Government Contracting, and Policy, Planning, and Liaison. "His personal experience and understanding about the challenges and rewards of small-business ownership will help SBA clients successfully compete for some of the billions of dollars' worth of federal contracts awarded by the government each year," says Mr. Barreto.

In 1990, Mr. Armendariz started a regional distributor in Irvine, California, specializing in laser and digital imaging machines. In 1997, his company was recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the 500 fastest-growing companies in the nation. In 1998, he started Digikon USA, a nationwide sales and marketing group assisting the auto, financial, and law-enforcement industries with the disposal of returned, seized, and repossessed assets.

For more information on the SBA's 8(a) program, visit www.sba.gov/8abd; for information about HUBZones, visit https://eweb1.sba.gov/hubzone/internet.