About ULBC

Established in 2001, The ULBC is an all-inclusive organization, which embraces diversity in its membership. This organization is creating business opportunities for Latino Owned Businesses as well as other minority/women owned businesses. This membership represents a diverse cross-section of financial, manufacturing, professional, construction, and technical businesses.

The United Latino Business Coalition is managed by a Board of Directors comprised of up to 15 members. The ULBC is based in Glendale, Arizona serving its memberships’ businesses throughout the state of Arizona.

Ray Gonzales, owner of RBG Construction Company, LLC founded the ULBC, with the assistance of Robert Murillo, owner of Mi Ranchito, in July 2001. Their vision was to increase contract opportunities for Latino and minority companies, and they planned to do this by holding government and corporate entities accountable for tracking diversity, setting, goals, and creating opportunities.

In June 2002, Mr. Gonzales was quoted as saying, “Everyone intends to do the right thing, otherwise they wouldn’t have areas devoted to minority procurement. What we’re trying to do is increase awareness.” (Wagner, E. [June 14, 2002]. Latino business coalition: ‘Show us the money’ Phoenix Business Journal. Retrieved June 23, 2009.

The same article continues, saying, “Part of the problem in the past has been that organizations may not want to ‘rock the boat’ by demanding accountability from the very corporations and government entities that support them, Murillo said. However, he said that because membership of the United Latino Business Coalition, or ULBC, is more than 95 percent business owners, they don’t have the same constraints.

“Both Murillo and Gonzales…stress that [the ULBC] is a member-driven organization to provide a forum for the concerns of their members.”

Mr. Gonzales and Mr. Murillo hoped to close the gap between minority businesses and corporate America. Their goal was to educate both groups on each other’s needs and how to do business with each other.