A gay-owned San Antonio business has become the first in the city to be certified by the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce as an LGBT Business Enterprise, giving it an opportunity to take advantage of contracting opportunities with other certified, equality-minded companies.
With the certification, Forbrich & Associates, LLC of San Antonio is now eligible to participate in NGLCC’s corporate partners’ supplier diversity programs, take advantage of educational opportunities promoted by NGLCC, and foster business to business relationships with other certified businesses.
In an announcement about the certification, the San Antonio LGBT Chamber of Commerce said, “We’re thrilled for what the announcement of our first certified [business] means for San Antonio. Our chamber is growing by leaps and bounds, and certified suppliers help cement our place in the local economy. Certified businesses like Forbrich & Associates are role models for other LGBT entrepreneurs, and build the kind of business equity we need to keep the LGBT community moving forward.”
Forbrich & Associates, founded by Chris Forbrich, has been doing business in San Antonio for 10 years. The company, which is headquartered in an historic downtown office building, provides information technology services to several industries.
“We are excited to join with businesses all over the country and be the first in town to be certified by the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.” Forbrich told Out In SA. “We look forward to expanding our business services to larger corporations looking for supplier diversity, as well as working more closely with other LGBT businesses and their customers.”
In order to be certified by the NGLCC, a business must be at least 51 percent owned, operated, managed, and controlled by an LGBT person or persons who are either U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. The National Minority Supplier Development Council and the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council offer similar certifications for their member businesses.
Forbrich says he first became aware of NGLCC’s certification program while in the course of doing research for Bexar County’s Small, Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprise Program Advisory Committee on which he sits.
Forbrich decided to complete the NGLCC certification process after he realized the advantages it gave him when marketing to and working with other certified businesses.
The SA LGBT Chamber is hoping Forbrich & Associates is the first of many more chamber businesses to seek certification. “This marks the first certified business in the San Antonio LGBT Chamber of Commerce — a precedent setting milestone that will encourage many more LGBT owned businesses to seek the tremendous advantages that come with being a certified business,” they said in their announcement.
