Al Martinez-Fonts, assistant secretary for the private sector office at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, gave the keynote speech, urging business owners to "be prepared for anything."

By David Burge
El Paso Times

EL PASO, Texas — For anyone fascinated by robots, computers and technology in general, the 10th annual BizTech expo at the convention center was the place to be Thursday.

Nearly 3,000 business owners, students and technology fans attended at least one part of the daylong event, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce officials said. BizTech featured a record 84 exhibitors and included networking, free classes and speakers.

"If you're in technology, you have to be here," said Kristen Cox, president and owner of Checkpoint Services Inc. "It's the technology show for El Paso."

Cox's company had a booth and was showing off its interactive whiteboard technology, digital signs, projectors, headsets and security software.

Betty Diaz, owner of WeeCare Providers, a home health-care company, attended the event for the first time and said it exceeded her expectations.

"I thought it was just great information and wonderful people," Diaz said.

She attended to find out about computer networks, phone systems and Web sites for her business and to make some contacts with local technology companies.

"What I came here for, I accomplished and more so," she said.

The El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce organizes the event each year and envisions it as a showcase for technology in El Paso, the border region and the nation, Hispanic Chamber CEO Cindy Ramos-Davidson said.

"Sometimes, people in El Paso don't recognize that we have the same access to tools and resources that larger markets with 2 or 3 million people do," Ramos-Davidson said.

White Sands Missile Range showed off its unmanned ground robot system, which can be used to videotape missile strikes, detect poisonous gas or disarm bombs, among other applications, officials said.

"Essentially, the reason we're here is to showcase some of the technology we're developing and using at the missile range," said Alfredo Ramirez, chief of the business development office at White Sands.

University of Texas at El Paso graduate student Gilbert Contreras Jr. attended to pro mote two labs for which he is research coordinator. His exhibit displayed a mini-robot made by local high-school students.

"I find this (expo) very interesting and fascinating," Contreras said. "It gives me an opportunity to talk to other business professionals and see what's out there and develop a business mind-set for when I graduate."

Former El Pasoan Al Martinez-Fonts, assistant secretary for the private sector office at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, gave the keynote speech. Martinez-Fonts, retired chairman and chief executive officer for JPMorgan Chase Bank in El Paso, urged business owners to "be prepared for anything."

"The possibility of a terrorist attack is low," he said in an interview. "It's more likely that you'll have a flood, fire or some other weather-related incident."

One out of four businesses that are affected by a disaster never reopen, Martinez-Fonts said. But some simple steps can help you survive, he added.

He cited an Iowa business owner whose company was flooded this summer. The business owner stored his customer records on a ThumbDrive (flash drive), which he took home every night, Martinez-Fonts said. That helped the business owner get rolling again once the mud and debris were cleared out, he said.

The Homeland Security Department also has plenty of opportunities for small-business owners, Martinez-Fonts said.

In fiscal year 2007, 35 percent of the department's $11 billion procurement budget went to small businesses, he said, exceeding the department's goal of 30 percent.

Valcent, a Canadian research and development company with its North American operations headquartered in El Paso, showed off its vertical gardening system, in which business owners and consumers can grow food using less water, energy and space, said Austin Weyant, Valcent's greenhouse manager.

The company also displayed a mini-version of its algae-growing system. The company is researching ways to grow algae more efficiently and turn it into biodiesel, Weyant added.

"You asked for a couple of words to describe what we do -- sustainability and efficiency," Weyant said. "We want to create systems that run today, tomorrow and always run efficiently."

El Paso company Three C's Contractors, a Native American-owned company, had a display to promote its new communications division, division General Manager Frank Candelaria said.

"More than anything else, we want to get our name out there," he said.

Local business award winners
Award winners announced Thursday at the BizTech Executive Luncheon:

Tech Rock Star: George Briones, information technology-information systems director for Fred Loya Insurance.Technology Hall of Fame inductee: Fabiola Rubio, vice president for information technology- chief information officer for El Paso Community College.Best Little Web Site on the Border Contest: first place, LauraCarrillo.com; second place, ForElPaso.com; third place, Chavster.com.

The 10th annual Biz Tech expo at the El Paso Convention Center on Thursday attracted 84 exhibitors, a record number for the annual event. The technology fair was sponsored by the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Representatives from White Sands Missile Range -- from left, Martin Rivas, Sebastian Stewart and Alfredo Ramirez -- demonstrated their unmanned ground robot system Thursday at the 10th annual BizTech expo.

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