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LAREDO, TX – Jose Zuniga, chairman of the Small Business Committee for the Laredo Chamber of Commerce, announced the selection of Ramon Diez-Barroso as the 2012 Laredo BusinessPerson of the Year.  The official announcement was made on June 21, 2012, at the Laredo Chamber of Commerce located at 2310 San Bernardo Ave. Chairman of the board Wilfredo Martinez, Jr.  and Chamber President/CEO  Miguel Conchas accompanied Zuniga in making the official announcement. “With this award, we recognize individuals that embody the spirit of entrepreneurialism and we celebrate the positive impact on the local economy made by local entrepreneurs through strong business practices and contributions to our community,” said Martinez. Board Members of the Laredo Chamber of Commerce accompanied the Small Business Committee and congratulated Diez-Barroso on such well deserved recognition.

 “An honor such as this is a wonderful way to recognize and celebrate Laredo. Our City has experienced substantial growth and development in recent years, and it has all been possible with the united effort among the governmental and business leadership of our community, both working together towards a common goal: to improve our city.”, said Diez-Barroso. “It is true that business individuals like myself, cannot possible prosper in times of adversity without the help of entities such as the Laredo Chamber of Commerce whose main vision is to develop, encourage, promote and protect the interests of the business community.” Diez-Barroso commended the Laredo Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business Committee for always standing for the economic well being of the Laredo community.  

Diez-Barroso graduated Summa Cum Laude from the School of Economics at Universidad Anahuac in Mexico City. After graduation, he left Mexico to attend the University of Texas at Austin where he continued his studies in the fields of Economics and English. In the spring of 1984 he returned to Mexico to work as a financial broker, and later in 1986, he opened a company dedicated to the production and retail of official sport wear for the 1986 FIFA Soccer World Cup held in Mexico.

 With a $1,000 dollars to his name, some personal belongings, and his resolve to make it on his own, Diez-Barroso arrived to Laredo in May 1987 to begin a new chapter in his life. Without a predetermined plan, his future was that of an ambitious young man whose desire was to find the sculpture of a man hidden in a stone. Eager to start a new endeavor, Diez-Barroso along with the Salido family transformed his grandmother’s house located in Nuevo Laredo to what became one of the most popular social scenes in that city: the Victoria 3020 Restaurant Bar, an icon during the 1990’s and a renowned tourist attraction. This experience would reinforce his determination to succeed and be open to other possibilities.

 In 1993, along with his brother Alejandro Diez-Barroso, they founded what to this day continues to be the backbone of their companies: Grupo Diez and Merlin Group; with a vision of merging existing family business, seeking new opportunities and bringing strategic partners to the group. Since then, business has flourished on both sides of the border generating jobs for more than 500 employees group wide and penetrating different sectors of the economy in residential, commercial, and industrial real estate, oil & gas ventures, communications, property management, construction, and franchise operations.

 Real Estate: Development, Construction & Property Management

With the financial support of strategic partners, the group counts with more than 1,000,000 square feet of rental property in residential, commercial and industrial real estate. Most projects headed by Cobalt Construction, a partnership between Eduardo “Wayo” Salido, Jr. and Ramon Diez-Barroso.

Later in 1993 Crossroads Business Park was developed with a 400,000 square feet industrial rental space and is one of Laredo’s premier industrial parks. Operations in the United States are headquartered in Laredo, Texas and are under the supervision and direction of Ramon Diez-Barroso.

 In 2007, Merlin Management Company was formed by Ramon Diez-Barroso providing property management and administrative support to the growing number of businesses and real estate properties. In the U.S., the group counts with more than 40 rental property units in Laredo, Uvalde, Eagle Pass, San Antonio, San Benito, Vail Colorado, and New York.

 Franchise Operations

Rainbow Pizza LLC, a partnership between Fernando Salido and Ramon Diez-Barroso, counts with six Domino’s Pizza with locations in San Benito, Weslaco, La Feria, Rio Grande, Eagle Pass, and Uvalde, Texas. In 2010, the company received the Domino’s Pizza Gold Franny Award in merits of their operational excellence. Such award is given to storeowners who rank in the top 1% on various operational measurements such as sales performance, product quality, operational audit scores, community involvement, safety and security. Currently, the company is looking at acquiring existing stores and developing new markets in Central and South Texas.

 Community Involvement

Close to his heart is his charitable work for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Diez-Barroso, now an Executive Board Member of the organization, first joined the Laredo Chapter in 2005. But, his crusade began back in 1980 when he was first detected with type 1 diabetes. His contribution with JDRF is nothing more than a response to a greater call to serve and to help others. Diez-Barroso and his wife have been strong advocates of this organization.

 Diez-Barroso is married to Jessica Lorraine Swisher, who is considered his one focal point that makes life unique. The most precious gifts have been the birth of their two children, Ramon Jr., and Juliana Lorraine.

 The selection of the honoree is based on an adaptation of the criteria used by the U.S. Small Business Administration for their annual awards, i.e. –

·         Staying power: a substantiated history as an established business;

·         Growth in the number of employees: a benchmark to judge the impact of business on the job   market;

·         Response to adversity: problems faced in the nominee’s business and methods used to solve them; and

·         Contributions by nominee to aid community-oriented projects: evidence of the use of nominee’s personal time and resources.

 The official award recognition will take place at a banquet scheduled for August 23, 2012 at the Laredo Country Club.  The annual recognition forms part of the Distinguished Business Awards Ceremony hosted annually by the Laredo Chamber with support of the Laredo Morning Times.  For sponsorship or ticket information contact the Laredo Chamber of Commerce at (956) 722-9895.