Pete Lerma de LERMA
LERMA/, a Dallas-based next-generation communications agency rooted in cross-culturalism and dedicated to building brands, announces it is now a certified minority-owned agency. Sometimes referred to as a Historically Underutilized Business (HUB), this designation comes from the State of Texas and validates that LERMA/ has met all of the qualifications set by the state.For LERMA/, multiculturalism is the foundation of the company and has been since its founding 11 years ago. Today, the company’s clients include The Home Depot, Avocados from Mexico, The Salvation Army, Lifeway, Interstate Batteries, and Ocean Spray, among others.“We were founded as a multicultural agency, and that core remains the heart of the agency,” said Pedro Lerma, founder and principal of LERMA/. “We bring our knowledge of cultures to general market and multicultural client work. Our clients see this as not only beneficial to their business, but absolutely essential, as our world is so actively involved in a cultural exchange. This perspective fuels all of the work we do. As brands seek to further their commitments to multiculturalism, we offer them the chance to work with a top-tier agency, and a certified minority-owned agency.”Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) is a company-level diversity certification that is issued by the state government to increase the amount of goods and services acquired by that state from HUBs. This certification allows those looking for diverse suppliers to access firms like LERMA/ as a certified HUB listed in the online Texas HUB Directory. Partners use the HUB Directory to identify those HUBs who meet their needs for a minority-owned, woman-owned or service-disabled veteran-owned businesses. Outside of the government, corporations are increasingly looking for suppliers with these types of certifications.