Wells Fargo and US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce Present First Asian Business Leadership Award
May 07 2004 - 9:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Wells Fargo and US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce Present
First Asian Business Leadership Award The Nation's Leading Small
Business Lender Recognizes Exceptional Business Owner, Awards
$5,000 to Tucson, Arizona-Based the Architecture Company SAN
FRANCISCO, May 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Wells Fargo &
Company (WFC) and US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce
(USPAACC) today presented the first Asian Business Leadership Award
to Tucson, Arizona-based The Architecture Company. In partnership
with USPAACC, Wells Fargo presented a $5,000 cash award to The
Architecture Company at CelebrAsian 2004, USPAACC's 16th annual
Asian American Business Conference in Irvine, California. "It is a
great pleasure to honor the accomplishments, successes and
innovations of Asian entrepreneurs," said Iris Chan, executive vice
president and National Spokesperson for Wells Fargo's Asian
Business Services Program. "Our winners exemplify the spirit of
progress and entrepreneurship that has supported the significant
growth in the Asian business market." Wells Fargo launched the
Asian Business Services program in 2002 to provide outreach,
education and increased access to capital among Asian business
owners by forming community alliances, investing in primary
research, and sponsoring key events in the diverse communities
where Asian business owners live and work. To measure its success,
Wells Fargo established a public goal to lend $2 billion over ten
years to Asian business owners. The program was so successful that
Wells Fargo increased its goal to $3 billion over the same period
of time. In February 2004, Wells Fargo announced a national
alliance with USPAACC and the creation of the Asian Business
Leadership Award to acknowledge the business achievements and
community leadership of exceptional Asian-owned businesses. The
Award recipient and two finalists were selected from applicants
across the country who were evaluated on business innovation,
success, and legacy of community service. This year's recipient,
The Architecture Company (owned by Richard Fe Tom and Nancy Tom)
has been in business for 22 years. It offers architecture, planning
and construction management, and is known for innovative
architecture that is functional, structurally sound, and
beautifully designed, striving to create buildings that enhances
the community's visual and functional experience. The Toms
attribute their company's success to a commitment to excellence,
customer advocacy, supportive relationships, and community
involvement. "We believe that integrity, optimism and the
expectation of change are key principles that create a successful
business and a successful life," said Richard Fe Tom. "It is a
great honor for us to receive this award on behalf of Asian
business owners everywhere." Two finalists will also be honored at
the conference: -- Vu Thanh Thuy and Duong Phuc, owners of
Houston-based Radio Saigon Houston KREH 900 AM, a Vietnamese
language radio station established in 1997 as a source of daily,
local news and information to the 150,000 Vietnamese living in
Houston, as well as listeners in Dallas, Texas, Orange County and
San Jose, California via syndication. -- May May Donna Lee Ng and
Chi-Man William Ng, owners of C.K. International, a successful
co-packer and exporter of pork products since 1994. Their business
is headquartered in Waukee and Des Moines, Iowa. About Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is a diversified financial services
company with $397 billion in assets, providing banking, insurance,
investments, mortgage and consumer finance from more than 5,900
stores and the Internet (wellsfargo.com) across North America and
elsewhere internationally. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. is the only
"Aaa"-rated bank in the United States. Visit Wells Fargo at
http://www.wellsfargo.com/ Providing financial products and
services to more than one million businesses with annual sales up
to $20 million in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada, Wells
Fargo is the #1 lender to small businesses in the United States in
total dollar volume according to 2001 CRA data. The second largest
SBA lender in dollars and third largest in loans, Wells Fargo is an
SBA Preferred Lender in 28 states, and originated 3,181 loans for
$473 million in 2003. Speer & Associates rated Wells Fargo's
online services #1 for small business and for consumers (2003). Its
targeted business services programs provide outreach and education
to women, African American, Latino, and Asian business owners about
financial services. Since 1995, Wells Fargo has loaned more than
$18 billion to women and minority business owners. About USPAACC
The US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce (USPAACC) is a
national nonprofit business organization representing all Asian
Americans and Asian American-related groups in business. For the
past two decades, USPAACC has been promoting, nurturing and
propelling economic growth by opening doors of contract,
educational and professional opportunities for Asian Americans and
their business partners in corporate America and government
agencies. USPAACC regularly holds business colloquies across the
country to address issues that are important to the Asian American
business community. USPAACC also certifies Asian American-owned
businesses through the Asian American Suppliers Council (AASC), a
unique one-stop shop where Asian American suppliers increase their
contacts and sales, and corporate and government purchasers
diversify their supplier base. With headquarters in Washington,
D.C., USPAACC has a nationwide presence through its regional
chapters in the East Coast, Midwest, Southwest and West Coast.
DATASOURCE: Wells Fargo & Company CONTACT: Matt Hurwitz of
Wells Fargo & Company, +1-415-222-1679, or ; or JP Torres of US
Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce, 1-800-416-3677, or Web
site: http://www.wellsfargo.com/
Copyright