SALT LAKE CITY (Aug. 4, 2020) — The Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) recently announced a partnership with the Suazo Business Center to provide education, outreach and consulting services to Utah’s various ethnic and minority communities.

The Suazo Business Center has strong ties to Utah’s ethnic and minority communities. It will use those ties in partnership with the Business Services team at GOED to help minority-owned businesses recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

“Our agency is proud to announce this partnership with the Suazo Business Center to provide more support for Utah’s minority-owned businesses,” said Ryan Starks, GOED’s managing director of business services. “This partnership is one we hope Utah’s business community will take advantage of.”

Utah’s minority business community represents a significant portion of the state’s underserved population. It is responsible for contributing hundreds of thousands of dollars to the state’s overall economy, and this contract with the Suazo Business Center helps ensure their voices are heard.

GOED received a legislative allocation of $90,000 in federal CARES Act monies to fund the Suazo Business Center’s outreach services to this historically underserved community from now until Dec. 30, 2020. The Suazo Business Center services will include webinars, blog posts, media interviews, translation services, and general outreach and education to Utah’s minority business communities.

“We’re excited to partner with GOED as a community partner to provide support to Utah’s minority-owned businesses,” said Silvia Castro, executive director of the Suazo Business Center. “Because of the work we have been doing since 2002, we have strong ties to our community’s ethnic and minority groups. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have become very familiar with various federal, state and local government programs and services available to these businesses and their owners. We look forward to uniting with GOED to serve these communities we know to be essential to the economies of our local cities and the state of Utah.”

About Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development

Under the direction of Gov. Gary Herbert, the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) provides resources and support for business creation, growth and recruitment, and helps drive increased tourism, film production and outdoor recreation in the state. Utilizing state resources and private sector contracts, GOED administers programs in economic areas that demonstrate the highest potential for development. Learn more at business.utah.gov or by calling (801) 538-8680.

About Suazo Business Center

Suazo Business Center is a business resource committed to the development and empowerment of the Latino/Hispanic and other underserved communities. They provide training, advising, and resources to break cycles of poverty, build wealth, and promote self-reliance. The Suazo Business Center has been serving the community since 2002. Over that time, they have assisted in the education, growth, and development of over 10,000 clients. They have created over 5,000 new small businesses, and have helped generate over $500,000,000 in revenues as an investment into Utah’s local economies. For more information, please visit suazoenter.org, email [email protected], call 801-521-1709, or visit our Facebook pages by searching “Suazo Business Center.”