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Minority business groups link up

The new Access Florida combines black and Hispanic business groups. It plans to apply for as much as $100-million in tax credits from a federal program.

Two organizations reflecting the largest minority groups in Florida have joined forces in an effort to increase the number of minority businesses.

The Florida Black Business Investment Board, based in Tallahassee, and the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, based in Jacksonville, have created a five-year partnership called Access Florida. It will work to increase "entrepreneurship, community development and private-sector investment in Florida's minority communities," according to Al Pina, president of the Hispanic chamber.

The new alliance's plans include an economic summit in November in Fort Lauderdale, according to Hilmon Sorey, president of the black business board.

Access Florida is also planning to apply for as much as $100-million in tax credits from the federal New Markets Tax Credit Program, which will award up to $3.5-billion in tax credits to investors in low-income areas nationally for 2003 and 2004.

Sorey said he is optimistic the joint application will succeed where his organization and several other Florida groups were unsuccessful last year in pursuing the tax credits separately.

"When we sat down to look at our independent objectives, we had so much in common, that it was a natural partnership," Sorey said.

Sorey said the group is not concerned that it will fall victim to competition that sometimes breaks out among organizations representing different ethnic groups.

"Together, we represent about 30 percent of Florida," Sorey said. "There's both a lot of work and a lot of opportunity to go around. There's more to be gained by collectively aligning our purposes and goals than to be risked by competing in a negative sense."

In a statement, Gov. Jeb Bush praised the two groups "for their commitment to economic prosperity and entrepreneurship and capital access programs."