Times Picayune article highlights NBCC Convention in New Orleans

Business group stands by N.O.

The National Black Chamber of Commerce kicked off its 15th annual convention in New Orleans Wednesday night with its chairman vowing to keep coming back to the Crescent City until the area's recovery is complete.

Harry Alford, a Bossier City native who serves as the group's president and CEO, said the annual meeting will "come back every year until New Orleans is one of the most vibrant cities in the United States." The group also met in New Orleans last summer.

In a further show of the organization's commitment to New Orleans, the Miami developer who will give this year's keynote address said Wednesday that he plans to take on a prominent role in rebuilding the area.

"I've already looked at two hotels (for possible acquisition) and plan on building a mixed-use project downtown that will cost in the hundreds of millions of dollars," said Don Peebles, chairman of The Peebles Corporation. Peebles, who will speak Friday morning, already has more than $4 billion in current projects across the country.

"We're targeting New Orleans for investments," said Peebles, who hopes to meet with Mayor Ray Nagin during the convention to discuss his concepts.

Peebles is author of the newly released book "The Peebles Principles: Tales and Tactics from an Entrepreneur's Life of Winning Deals, Succeeding in Business, and Creating a Fortune from Scratch." He has been an active fundraiser for both Bill Clinton and Jeb Bush and advocates having minority businesses play a role in rebuilding the Gulf Coast.

"The new battleground for equal opportunity is economic," Peebles said. "The reality, the true sense of (racial) equality, is to be able to write a check and have it clear."

"Frankly, if New Orleans is going to get rebuilt, it has to draw on the African-American community to invest there, and we (The Peebles Corporation of Miami) are targeting New Orleans for major investment," Peebles said.

Peebles' keynote address Friday morning will be on "the power of entrepreneurship to transform the black family in America."

"New Orleans has a very unique situation and unique opportunity. For every step back there is a great opportunity in disguise," Peebles said.

Arnold Baker, owner of Baker Ready Mix and Building Materials on Frenchmen Street and president of the New Orleans chapter, said that national companies drawn to the Crescent City by the chamber will pave the way for work for local companies as well.

"Local companies haven't taken advantage of national opportunities," Baker said. "By allowing the national firms to come here, now we'll have the opportunity (through new relationships) to compete in the national arena."

The annual convention started Wednesday evening at the W Hotel and runs through Saturday.

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