Concession to sell pagers in Mexico granted to Latina entrepreneur.

Sandy Pina First Woman Entrepreneur to Benefit from NAFTA Vision

Originally from Tijuana, Mexico, Sandy Pina, has been a Los Angeles-area businesswoman and community activist for the last 25 years. She has worked as a real estate broker for the last ten years but has recently decided to concentrate on her newly-granted concession from the Mexican government to sell pagers in Baja, California.

Heavily involved in political and community affairs, Pina has volunteered much of her time with various community organizations, raising funds and coordinating special events for numerous community organizations, including the Hollenbeck Youth Center and Boyle Heights Kiwanis Club. In fact, Pina has the distinction of being the first women in the country ever allowed membership to the formerly all-male Kiwanis organization, as well as the first female president of a local Kiwanis service club. Pina is also responsible for recently leading a group of East Los Angeles citizens in a fund raising drive for Fidel Lopez, a Guatamala-born individual nearly beaten to death during the Los Angeles riots who became known as the "forgotten victim."

But, little did Pina realize two years ago that she would also achieve another first: the first Latina entrepreneur to be granted a concession from the Mexican government's telecommunications department to sell pagers in Baja.

"The idea to apply for a (concession) license was first suggested to me by my cousin in Tijuana," said Pina. "He told me that with the real estate market being so depressed in the U.S., I should focus my efforts in the burgeoning communications needs of Baja. He told me the prospects of increased business interaction between Mexico and the U.S., due to NAFTA coming down the pipeline, would soon create a big demand for pagers."

After inquiring into the possibilities of securing a concession to sell pagers in Baja, Pina gathered together several key people in Tijuana and the U.S. to look into the viability of securing the concession.

Little did Pina realize how slow and exhaustive the process of applying for a concession in Mexico is, much less, how much objection she would be facing from businessman and government bureaucrats who, "unfortunately," Pina said, "still manifest chauvinistic attitudes toward women in the marketplace."

"Being a Mexican women, I have always been exposed to and have been aware of the (chauvinistic) attitudes toward women seeking a place in the Mexican business community," smiled Pina. "However, I have never let these (attitudes) get in my way of accomplishing my goals."

After spending nearly two years and approximately $400,000 of her and a small group of investors' monies to secure the required technical studies and license requirements, Pina's group projects the concession will generate approximately $1.2 million dollars in sales the first year of operation, and has the potential to eventually reach an annual ten million dollars in sales within the next two to three years.

"Yes! I am a (Latina) businesswoman, and that posed problems for some of the (Mexican government) bureaucrats we had to deal with," says Pina. "However, most of the ones we dealt with realized that in order for NAFTA to succeed, they will have to deal with the realities that American entrepreneurs and investors move more quickly and aggressively than they are accustomed to, and we (entrepreneurs) also have to realize that there will have to be a more 'give and take' attitude on both sides to ensure successful and prosperous NAFTA relationships."

Although Mexico's government requires that concessions can only be granted to Mexican citizens, Pina, who has dual (Mexican and U.S.) citizenship, helped put together a group of Mexican business people that includes her father, a Mexican citizen who lives in Tijuana.

The concession will allow Pina and her group the authority to install a satellite operation and sixteen antennas in Baja cities (Tijuana, Mexical, Rosarito, La Paz and Ensenada) to provide its potential pager clients a frequency network of up to 929-7825 MHz.

The frequency will provide basic paging, alpha numeric paging, and answering service capabilities that will initially service up to 200,000 customers, with the option of acquiring additional frequencies within a few months. Other planned concession areas Pina and her group will seek include the Arizona/Mexico and Texas/Mexico borders, as well as Mexico port cities of Campeche and Merida.

"I am amazed with the tenacity and unrelenting efforts Sandy Pina has demonstrated in securing this concession," said Joe Ortiz, public relations chair for the Latin Business Association.

"What she has accomplished represents a great example of the tremendous capabilities, and cultural and business insights that Latino and Latina entrepreneurs bring to the NAFTA table," adds Ortiz, a public relations consultant who has been hired by the group to provide marketing and public affairs assistance to the project.

Ortiz said that by virtue of Pina's adept negotiating skills and her "never say die" attitude in becoming the first Latina to gain this type of concession, many other Latino and Latina entrepreneurs will view her efforts as "trail-blazing" and will embolden them to pursue NAFTA-related projects more vigorously.

"When the NAFTA concept was initially introduced, Latino and Latina entrepreneurs knew they had the skills and the wherewithal to become key links to NAFTA's success," said Ortiz. "However, we were also concerned and looking to see who would be first (to land a concession) and how exhaustive the process might be."

Ortiz said Pina's group went through many trials and errors in obtaining the concession, primarily with securing feasibilities studies, technical studies, and overcoming the operational barriers represented in numerous social, cultural, and business practices of the Mexican bureaucracy. He said Pina's group was also in contact with many U.S. and Mexican officials throughout the process, seeking clarification of their countries' respective rules and guidelines concerning the securing of the concession, including direct contact with the office of Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari.

"President Salinas' office was very helpful by directing the group to the appropriate individuals and agencies responsible for granting the concession," said Ortiz. "If you aren't aware of the process and the individuals in charge (of the appropriate departments), then the process can be overwhelming." Ortiz adds that although the delays and obstacles Pina's group experienced in seeking the concession may be perceived as insurmountable bureaucratic road blocks, he believes, in the long haul, that U.S. companies and entrepreneurs wishing to conduct business in Mexico will eventually find that the differences are not that difficult to deal with and they will soon learn to adjust to the (operational) differences.

At this time, with the influx of new trade and business opportunities being created by the infancy of NAFTA, international investors and numerous major corporations are positioning themselves to reap large profits in Mexico-related ventures by investing in its industrial, shipping, manufacturing, marketing, communications, and transportation arenas. It is obvious to many investors that the communications industry, especially, will play a key and vital role in how successful small companies and corporate entities will be in their respective business ventures in Mexico.

Pina, 42, an Azusa, California resident, said her phone is now ringing off the hook with calls from international investors seeking to outright purchase the concession from her, realizing the tremendous financial potential it represents. However, Pina stated she has no plans to sell the concession, but is willing to talk to investors interested in partnering with her on her NAFTA vision.

"I realize that there were (and still are) a lot of skeptics about NAFTA's effectiveness," said Pina. "However, many investors and entrepreneurs are starting to realize that it is not going to happen overnight. I'm willing to partner with investors who believe in NAFTA and are willing to join me in working out and through the (cultural and business approach) differences, and who believe, like I do, that NAFTA can be the catalyst to create economic prosperity for both Mexico and the United States."

Sharon Lynn is a freelance writer in North Hollywood, who writes about issues concerning the Latino community and Latina entrepreneurs.