U.S. Small Business Administration Establishes Satellite Office in Coachella Valley

Palm Desert, CA - The U.S. Small Business Administration, Santa Ana District Office has established a satellite office in the Coachella Valley to better serve small business owners, entrepreneurs and participating lenders in the area.  The agency celebrated the occasion by hosting a ribbon cutting at its new location on December 12 which was attended by roughly 100 participants, including SBA Regional Administrator Donna Davis, Santa Ana District Director J. Adalberto Quijada, Santa Ana Deputy District Director Rachel Baranick, Representative Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36), the mayors of Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Coachella and La Quinta, representatives from local cities, chambers, and elected officials, participating lenders, local entrepreneurs and resource partners.  “We are pleased the presence of this SBA office will bring more resources to the region’s small business community.  SBA’s programs and services have been underutilized in the Coachella Valley and now there will be a physical presence to help businesses thrive and create more jobs.  In FY 2016, the agency backed 105 loans totaling more than $48 million and we expect this number to increase substantially now that SBA has arrived in the region,” said SBA Director Adalberto Quijada.

Dr. Ruiz, a native of the Coachella Valley, whose district covers the entire Valley stated, “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and I am so proud that today we opened the first and only SBA Satellite Office in the entire Inland Empire region! This office will give local small businesses the support they need to grow, create jobs, and stimulate our local economy. This is a win for Southern California."

The office, which is located at 43-100 Cook Street, Suite 104, in Palm Desert, is co-located with Coachella Valley SCORE, a resource partner of the agency and is staffed by one SBA employee, Natalie Orta, Senior Area Manager.  Ms. Orta, who has worked for the agency for more than 21 years in a variety of positions, is a fluent Spanish speaker and has already been working with community partners, elected officials, chambers, business organizations, entrepreneurs and lenders in the area.

“It is my pleasure to represent the U.S. Small Business Administration here in the Coachella Valley.  I am at the service of this great community and look forward to working closely with area small businesses, chambers, lenders and entities that serve the vibrant entrepreneurial community in the valley,” said Ms. Orta.
Coachella Valley’s small business population consists of 36,191 small businesses, comprising approximately 1.1% of the statewide total of 38,332,521 small businesses.  SBA grant funded resource partners SCORE, Coachella Valley Women Business Center and Coachella Valley Small Business Development Center provide counseling and training to over 1,000 clients and either host or participate in hundreds of business events each year.

In its justification requesting the creation of the satellite office, the Santa Ana District noted that the area’s continued population growth, which outpaces the rest of the state and the nation, and availability of labor and land at lower prices compared to coastal areas, indicate the region will continue to experience economic growth and development.   

About the U.S. Small Business Administration
Since its founding more than a half-century ago as an independent federal agency of the U.S. government to “aid, counsel, assist, and protect, insofar as is possible, the interests of small business concerns,” the U.S. Small Business Administration has delivered about 24 million loans, loan guarantees, contracts, counseling sessions and other forms of assistance to small businesses. SBA also helps people recover from disasters and rebuild their lives by providing affordable, timely and accessible financial assistance to homeowners, renters and businesses and works to ensure small businesses receive a “fair proportion” of government contracts.

About the Santa Ana District Office
The Santa Ana District Office, under the leadership and vision of J. Adalberto Quijada, District Director, is responsible for the delivery of SBA programs and services in the Southern California counties of Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino.  Located in Santa Ana near John Wayne Airport, the office and its staff of 14 facilitate understanding and access to SBA loan programs; coordinate and conduct hundreds of training sessions and special events annually such as matchmaking forums, loan fairs, and business plan competitions; and manage a portfolio of approximately 90 businesses enrolled in the agency’s 8(a) business development program.   

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