Texas Entrepreneur Named National Businessman of theYear by The U.S. Hispanic Chamber of...

Business Editors

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 17, 2000

Manny Chavez, president and CEO of Austin-based Harvard Manufacturing Texas, has been named National Businessman of the Year by the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce ("USHCC").

The annual

"It is a tremendous honor to be the recipient of such a prestigious award," Chavez said. "I have a great deal of respect for the other nominees, who are very successful and accomplished businessmen. To have been chosen from these ranks is a distinction beyond compare."

HMT is a developer, distributor and installer of state-of-the-art telecommunications technology. Chavez, a graduate of Harvard Business School and the University of Texas at El Paso, founded the company after working for high tech giants such as IBM. HMT has almost doubled its revenues each year since its formation in 1997, and has grown from six employees to 250.

Harvard Manufacturing last year generated $50.4 million in annual revenues through contracts with clients such as Ameritech, Qwest and SBC. Chavez projects revenues for 2000 at $104 million. In addition to the Austin headquarters, Harvard Manufacturing currently has offices in Houston, Dallas and El Paso, Texas; Denver; Wallingford, Conn.; Sacramento and Oakland, Calif.; and Chicago.

Chavez and HMT have enjoyed a string of recognitions this year including designation as a finalist for the Ernst and Young Central Texas Entrepreneur of the Year award and being named the third fastest growing new business in the country by Entrepreneur magazine. Chavez was recently named the Austin Hispanic Businessman of the Year and the Texas Hispanic Businessman of the Year.

An independent panel of entrepreneurs, business leaders, scholars and media executives selected Chavez for the USHCC award. The panel based their decision on the company's financial and profitable growth over the past three years, community involvement, quality of service, innovation and measurable results.