New Partnership Between Millennium LMI and LINC Announced Investing in Hispanic-Owned Auto Dealerships

Asset Caption: Millennium LMI, LINC and Ford Motor Company announce their partnership which aims at providing capitalization to fifty qualified candidates over the next five years.

Left to Right: Randy J. Mulder, Chairman and Founder of LINC; George Frame, Director, Dealer Development, Ford Motor Company; Bob Lunn, CEO Millennium LMI; David Lizarraga, President & Chief Executive Officer; TELACU (The East Los Angeles Community Union) Vice-Chairman, LINC and Director, Millennium.

Asset Caption: Mr. Rudy Mulder
Chairman of Millennium LMI & LINC
Chairman & CEO, MTG Management Partners

David Lizarraga
Chairman, TELACU (The East Los Angeles Community Union)
President and CEO, LINC
Director, Millennium LMI

George Frame
Director, Dealer Development, Ford Motor Company

Asset Caption: David Lizarraga
Chairman, TELACU (The East Los Angeles Community Union)
President and CEO, LINC
Director, Millennium LMI

Mr. Rudy Mulder
Chairman of Millennium LMI & LINC
Chairman & CEO, MTG Management Partners
(Audio is in Spanish)

Asset Caption: Press release
Asset Description: Word document

Business/News Editors & Automotive/Government Writers
    NOTE: A VIDEO, AUDIO (English and Spanish) and PHOTO relating to
    this story will be available for journalists to download
    beginning today at www.newstream.com and at
    www.businesswire.com

    SAN ANTONIO--June 27, 2001--In a landmark move that is gaining national attention both inside and outside the automotive industry, the Chicago-based non-profit advocacy group LINC (Latino Initiatives for the Next Century) and Millennium LMI announced recently the launching of a partnership program with Ford Motor Company to invest in the creation of 50 Hispanic-owned automotive dealerships.
    The action will mean more than one billion dollars of business ownership is being invested into the Latino community -- a fitting announcement scheduled to be made during a United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce conference on "Entrepreneurship."
    The goal of the partnership is to provide capitalization for Hispanics to own and operate 50 new Ford dealerships throughout the United States over the next five years. The move would increase the number of Ford Motor Company's Hispanic-owned dealerships by more than 60 percent from 88 to 138.
    "Nothing like this has ever been done before, and we're excited that Ford shares our vision to empower Hispanics through entrepreneurship," said Rudy Mulder, chairman of LINC and Millennium LMI. But Mulder says the assistance doesn't stop there. "Although the capital financing of a dealership is often the largest hurdle, we know people will need other kinds of support and training programs needed for success -- and we plan to make sure they get it," he said.
    "The fact is independent Hispanic dealers, adequately capitalized and effectively managed, are essential to the successful marketing and sales of Ford products," states George Frame, director, Dealer Development, Ford Motor Company. "This partnership has created a program that provides Ford dealerships to qualified Hispanics with resources that help them become economically self-sufficient through business ownership."
    A growing list of business leaders, elected officials, Hispanic advocacy groups and supporters outlined steps recently for a revolutionary plan to enhance the economic empowerment and automotive business ownership of Latinos throughout the United States through a comprehensive program that addresses the gaps to success at every level. Mulder says the partnership came together because the partners in the joint venture all recognize the strength and growth of the Hispanic consumer market and the lack of Hispanic-owned dealerships throughout the United States.
    LINC, Latino Initiatives for the Next Century, is the first national non-profit organization providing economic empowerment and equity to Latinos throughout the United States. LINC is empowering Latinos through college scholarships, educational programs, job training and placement, and business ownership opportunities.
    "LINC's business ownership program is designed to ensure wealth creation within the Latino community and will ensure economic empowerment in the United States allowing self-sufficiency for future generations. Through our network of resources, we're also opening doors for fledgling entrepreneurs that would otherwise be difficult to open on their own," said David Lizarraga, vice chairman of LINC, chief executive officer of the East Los Angeles Community Union (TELACU) and director, Millennium LMI.
    LINC's strategy is endorsed by an expanding list of corporate partners, governmental agencies and national retailers including the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, Hispanic Construction Industry, TAMACC (Texas Association of Mexican-American Chambers of Commerce), 7-Eleven, Coca-Cola and Arthur Andersen, to name a few.
    "Millennium LMI will serve as the lending mechanism for this initiative and has secured over 170 million dollars in equity to loan to the Latino community. The fund targets companies and qualified individuals that ordinarily would not have access to venture capital investment. Opportunities include the growth of existing companies, those looking to expand on current businesses, franchises, dealerships and distributors on both national and regional levels," stated Bob Lunn, chief executive officer of Millennium LMI.


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                     FRIENDS & SUPPORTERS OF LINC
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                              Rudy Mulder
                   Chairman of Millennium LMI & LINC
                Chairman & CEO, MTG Management Partners

                            David Lizarraga
        Chairman, TELACU (The East Los Angeles Community Union)
                         President & CEO, LINC
                       Director, Millennium LMI

                               Bob Lunn
                          CEO, Millennium LMI

                             George Frame
           Director, Dealer Development, Ford Motor Company

                     LINC Advisory Council (Texas)
          Andrew Ramirez, Chairman & CEO, RZ Associates Inc.
                  Sam Guzman, President & CEO, TAMACC
          Frank Fuentes, President, Fuentes Construction, LLC
                Ernesto Chavarria, Chairman, ITBR Inc.

                       The Honorable Bobby Perez
               San Antonio City Councilman, District One

                          Mary Alice Cisneros
   George Herrera, President/CEO, U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
         The Honorable Gonzalo Barrientos, Texas State Senator

    NOTE: A VIDEO, AUDIO (English and Spanish) and PHOTO relating to
    this story will be available for journalists to download
    beginning today at www.newstream.com and at
    www.businesswire.com

    Note: A Photo is available at URL:
    http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/photo.cgi?pw.062701/bb5