CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) -
One local business man has made his dream come true.
"I had this idea, a $200 tax refund and I decided to start my own business," said Louis Romero.
Twenty-two years later Romero is the president of Network Cabling Systems and employs more than 50 people at two different locations.
"What we do is we put the technology inside a construction of a new commercial project or sometimes a retro-fit," said Romero.
Ramiro is celebrating his most recent contract providing services for the upcoming Democratic National Convention.
"It's an honor to be able to do that because when that event is going on in town, we can take a look at our president and see other figures nationally and globally and know that I had something to do with that," said Romero.
The Charlotte Chamber of Commerce says this is one example of the rise of local Hispanic-owned businesses in the city.
"There is this new kind of sense of entrepreneurism from the foreign born and the Hispanic population," said Erin Watkins with the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce.
"We've really seen it grow and we will continue to see it grow."
The organization says minority owned businesses are not just booming.
"We are slowly seeing certain areas of the city really cater to the Hispanic population," said Watkins.
According to the 2010 US census, Hispanic workers accounted for more than 19 percent of Charlotte's white-collar crowd, including management and highly skilled trades.
Watkins says it's no surprise that minority businesses are sprouting up and reaching beyond their niche target audience.
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