POCATELLO — “African-Americans are at the bottom of the economic totem pole and, the sad fact is there are no black-owned businesses here and very few minority-owned businesses at all,” said Dr. Bobbi Branch, president of the Pocatello chapter of the NAACP.

In an attempt to broaden such opportunities in this area, several members of the merchant and labor community met with the executive board of the local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in  early May where the creation of an entrepreneurial center was discussed.

Dan Cravens, a regional economist for the Idaho Department of Labor, led the presentation, with input from Bannock Development Corp. executive director John Regetz, and Small Business Development regional director David Noack.

“Entrepreneurship is the great equalizer,” Cravens said. “It provides opportunity and upward mobility, no matter what your background or ethnicity. The fact that the NAACP want to focus on this and to establish an entrepreneur center is a great idea. I understand their concern and we want to do whatever we can do to facilitate this.”

Regetz agreed, adding that it’s not just vital to begin a business, but to utilize smart models, work with bankers and investors. While Noack, who has headed several businesses himself, told the group that keeping customers is as important as the initial startup.

“We’re in a different economy today, and there are different pressures,” Noack said. “Economic pressures and regulatory pressures are now commonplace. Many times, a business will start, people are excited and everything looks great. Then six months later, there’s a ‘For Lease’ sign on the door.”

He added that, while this is the new economy and is virtually the same for everyone, minority or majority, there may be certain advantages for those in certain communities where a more specific target may be successful.

One success story might be that of local entrepreneurs Luis Diaz, his father, Arturo, and his brother-in-law Jesus Martinez. The family recently purchased the old, run-down Kwikee Mart at 255 S. Arthur and turned it into a shiny new auto repair center, The Pit Stop. They moved here from Driggs, which is located in Teton Valley, where they also owned a car repair shop.

“The population was getting smaller there, so we decided to move to where the people are,” Luis Diaz said. “We saw this building on Craigslist, saw it was convenient to many parts of the city and was reasonably priced, so we made the decision to buy.”

He added that the remodeling took a great deal of the family’s savings, but it was necessary to get the edifice up to code as well as making it aesthetically pleasing. “This is a great location and the building looks really good right now,” Diaz said. “It’s still a tough economy and starting a new businesses isn’t easy, but we’re sticking together as a family, so I’m sure we’ll make a difference on this side of town.”

The Pit Stop specializes in all general automotive care and maintenance from oil changes to brake jobs to engine and transmission work and plans to even offer auto sales soon.

“Any new business that starts up is good for this area,” Cravens said. “When people take risks with their own money, they deserve to be recognized. When jobs are created, it helps everyone.”