Members of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana (HCCL) recently traveled to Honduras and Spain to discover avenues for partnership and trade. Mayra Pineda, HCCL president and CEO, says that the trips tied well to the organization’s mission.
“Improving the competitiveness of Hispanic businesses in local, state, and international markets is one of our core tenets,” Pineda says. “These trips helped to fulfill that goal, as we learned from each other and strengthened relationships.”
Here, several members share what they learned—and the practices they are now putting into place.
Honduras
Stanton McNeely, who has served as president at the University of Holy Cross (UHC) since July 2019, joined the international trade mission trip to San Pedro Sula (the business and economic center of Honduras) and Tegucigalpa (the government center and capital of Honduras) in June 2023. The trade mission was coordinated by HCCL and focused on specific areas: health care; banking; logistics; trade; and education. Participants included: Ochsner Health; Gulf Coast Bank; University of Holy Cross; CRC Global Solutions; TeleVizion; and Port of New Orleans.
“We were able to explore opportunities and re-connect with historical ties that have existed between Louisiana and Honduras,” Pineda says.
“There were many engagements with colleges and universities, businesses and economic development organizations, and government officials,” McNeely says. “New Orleans was, in the past, a key destination in the United States for Hondurans looking to pursue college/university education. That has shifted to Houston and Miami. The University of Holy Cross can help with reconnecting Hondurans with college/university education in Louisiana.”
Since the trade mission, UHC has signed an agreement with the University of St. Michael the Archangel in Honduras. “Additional opportunities involve business education, including optimizing online technology for business education in cooperation with Honduran companies for their employees to study business with [UHC],” McNeely says. “Nursing and medical education also has great potential.”
Dr. Ana Hands, vice president of transplant services and international health at Ochsner Health, also joined on the trip to Honduras. She cites meetings with authorities from Puerto Cortes, and visiting Hospital Maria and Fundacion CRI, as standout moments from the trip. “This was a great opportunity to network and reconnect with business associates and to build new relationships, explore new markets, and increase customer base by gaining insights on local markets and brand visibility,” she says. “There are a lot of opportunities for commercial partnerships as well as academic exchanges.”
Spain
Responding to an official invitation by Association Civil Héroes de Cavite, the HCCL attended the Hispanity – Cartagena 2023 conference in Cartagena, Murcia, Spain last October. Anselmo Rodriguez Manzo, HCCL treasurer and manager of supply chain management at Blue Cross and Blue Shield, was part of the HCCL executive delegation, which also included Raiza Pitre, HCCL chair, and Mayra Pineda, HCCL president and CEO.
During the conference, the HCCL delegation witnessed the execution of a previously negotiated collaboration agreement between the Port of Subic Bay, in the Philippines, and the Port of Cartagena, Spain. According to Rodriguez Manzo, another key moment was when HCCL signed the Hispanic Cooperation Agreement along with the Chamber of Commerce of Cartagena, the American Federation of Philippine Chamber of Commerce, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida and the Asociación Civil Héroes de Cavite. “This agreement sets the stage for greater cultural integration and future trade missions among the signatories,” he says.
A main takeaway for Rodriguez Manzo was the realization that New Orleans’ geographic location at the mouth of the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico—in combination with the city’s common heritage with Spanish-speaking nations—provides many opportunities for New Orleans and Louisiana. “[We are positioned] to become a world-class gateway and critical link, not only for tourism, but also for technology, industry and commerce, as part of the economic growth triangle constituted by North America, South America and Europe,” he says.
Mexico
Additionally, members of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC), including USHCC board member and HCCL board president/CEO Mayra Pineda and other local HCCL board members, recently spearheaded and took part in the U.S. Hispanic Chamber’s inaugural trade mission to Mexico City and Guadalajara, Mexico, thereby enhancing transnational business opportunities for U.S. Hispanics.
Key insights from the mission included the advantages of supply chain diversification and nearshoring in Mexico; the potential in natural resources, sustainability and product availability; a growing workforce in Mexico; and the role of the chambers of commerce in facilitating business expansion for Hispanic entrepreneurs and small businesses from the U.S. into Mexico and Latin America.
“The Hispanic business community is a potent force, contributing $3.2 trillion in GDP to vital industry sectors,” says Ramiro A. Cavazos, president and CEO of the USHCC, who took part in the trip. “Mexico encompasses cultural resonance, product quality, accessibility, a business-friendly environment, and the collaborative spirit of both public and private sectors in fostering international business alliances. By coming together, both sides of the border reap the benefits.”
