Working his way up from his beginnings as a tradesworker, Sergio Terreros now encourages opportunities for growth in the Hispanic construction community through his recent appointment to President and CEO of the National Hispanic Contractors Association (NAHICA).

Terreros has years of experience in advertising, marketing, and leading teams of Hispanic marketers as the current President of the Hispanic advertising agency, 11/11 Media. He hopes to use his marketing expertise to grow NAHICA and establish Hispanic contractors as the preferred partner in the industry.

As head of 11/11 Media, Terreros worked on marketing initiatives with companies such as Bobcat and Caterpillar and played a vital role in organizing the largest Hispanic construction expo in the U.S., ExpoContratista. The expo attracts thousands of contractors, exhibitors, and partners to Houston and Dallas each year.

Terreros graduated from Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon in 2003 with a degree in marketing, communications, and media studies.

What inspired you to become President of the National Hispanic Contractors Association?

I decided I wanted to collaborate and help bring resources to the construction community. I saw the opportunity for knowledge. I wanted to give the Hispanic community more resources for them to establish and grow their construction companies.

How do you think your past experience has prepared you for your role as President?

I used to be a laborer, I used to work in construction, I worked in concrete. Experiencing and living what they experience on a daily basis gives me the knowledge of their situation and where they are at. They face the same issues and problems. I think that's one of my biggest assets to the community — that I’ve been one of them.

What does it mean to you to be appointed National Hispanic Contractors Association’s President?

It’s a really big responsibility that the community trusts us, and we have to basically deliver. You're changing lives; we get testimonials where members used to make $1 million a year, and now they're making $1 million every quarter. So those testimonials are pretty meaningful. It’s great when I talk to them and they're making more money or they're business is running smoothly or they’re avoiding problems. When they face those kinds of problems in the job, it also affects the family. So you’re helping in a direct way in their business and an indirect way in the families.

How does the National Hispanic Contractors Association help Hispanic contractors grow their business?

We have free seminars, like how to read the blueprints, how to read the contracts, understanding the contract, understanding the terms. Another thing is we have a seminar or workshop for commercial construction that is very popular. We teach them how to bid the project, present the project to the GC [general contractor], negotiate with the GC, and form a relationship with the GC. Lastly, we teach how to get certified with the city and how to apply for those small business certifications, minority business certifications, women-owned business certifications. I would say those are the top aspects of the association.

What goals do you hope to accomplish during your time as President?

One of my goals is 1,000 new GCs in 2023, nationwide. I want to bring to the construction industry at least 1,000 contractors because the construction industry needs it. The general contractors are retiring, and the new generation is not joining the construction industry. We’re going to have a big problem in the years to come because there’s not going to be enough contractors. So that's one of my goals, and that's what I would like to accomplish in 2023.

Also, what I’m seeing in the construction industry is the inclusion of women in construction companies. We have a skyrocketing number of women joining the construction industry. One of our next steps is how we can empower even more women to join.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.