Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, March 13, 1994                   TAG: 9403090208
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: D1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Megan Schnabel
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

MEXITRONICS

But Roanoke businesswoman Petra Barrera has turned her gender and her Mexican heritage to an advantage. Her electronics distribution company, Mexitronics Corp., bills itself as a "100 percent minority/female-owned" electronics distributor and has survived in the competitive electronics industry for 14 years through a combination of savvy marketing and hard work.

"We take the majority of problems out of minority buying," says company advertising.

Making the most of laws that require government subcontractors to do business with minority-owned firms, Barrera, 56, promotes Mexitronics' minority status along with the connectors and switches it distributes.

Mexitronics is a licensed distributor for electronics manufacturers including ITT Pomona and AMP. It acts as a wholesaler selling their equipment to buyers, including NASA and Lockheed Corp.

But even government regulations and superior service ratings from those big league customers aren't always enough to get Mexitronics in the door of high-tech firms that are reluctant to deal with minority suppliers, Barrera said.

"Being a minority is really demeaning," Barrera said. "A lot of times, I go to a company and it's, `What does this little old lady know about electronics?' "

Businesses often fulfill their minority-contract obligations on public projects by hiring minority-owned janitorial or maintenance companies, rather than awarding minorities for higher-level contracts, she said.

And even if a small business like Mexitronics manages to land a subcontract, larger contractors and companies seem to look for any excuse - a missed shipment, for example - to cancel the deal, Barrera said.

That cold reality led to Mexitronics' motto: "We'd rather not take your order than let you down."

"They don't give us any slack," said Vicki Atkins, who has been with Mexitronics for eight years and is second in command. "We have to work harder to prove to them that we can do the work."

They have to work harder, too, because they are small. With only five employees and a more limited range of products than larger companies, Mexitronics must battle to get its name out in the industry.

"Unfortunately, I do have to compete with big distributors," Barrera said. Mexitronics last year saw sales of $1 million, while most of the company's competitors are Fortune 500 companies, she said.

Minority trade fairs are excellent opportunities for meeting prospective customers, Barrera said, but they merely open the doors. As with most small businesses, Mexitronics also relies heavily on advertising in industry publications and on networking, she said.

Barrera is stepping up promotion of Mexitronics within the commercial sector, especially as defense cuts have brought decreased government business to the company.

"With everybody loving everybody, our orders have gone down," she said with a slight laugh. "I'd like to go on with the commercial side."

When she isn't making cross-country trips to visit customers, Barrera spends time continuing her own business education. Virginia Power sponsored her to attend the Minority Business Executive Program in 1992 at Dartmouth College, one of several programs that offer practical business training and expert advice to minority business owners.

She also counsels budding entrepreneurs who want to take the plunge she took 14 years ago when she started her own business. The task isn't easy, she tells them, but it can be done.

"I tell them if you work hard and prove yourself, it can be a very good business," she said.