October 15, 2026
There isn’t a trade that doesn’t have people of Hispanic descent, who make up about 22% of tradespeople. This year for Hispanic Heritage Month, we want to acknowledge the contributions of the Hispanic community and business owners to the Port over the years.
Last year, the Port had its most successful year of diverse contracting where 15.3% ($151M) in contract spend went to WMBE firms, and 400 WMBE firms contracted with the Port. We also saw encouraging contracting metrics with Hispanic firms:
- 38 Hispanic firms were utilized, surpassing our previous record of 36 firms in 2023.
- $9M in contract expenditure went to Hispanic firms
As seen in the chart above, the trendline for Hispanic contracting is moving in the right direction. This is in large part due to Hispanic-owned firms continuing to serve as important partners on construction contracts, in which the Port has been investing the most contracting dollars. Since 2019, Hispanic firms have received $64.1M in contracts and 61% of that ($39M) of that was in construction. In 2025 that percentage was even higher, at 78%.
Construction contracting with the Port is no small feat. Prompt payment, Project Labor Agreements, bonding and insurance requirements, badging requirements, and prevailing wage, while challenging for any firm, can be particularly difficult on emerging and small business owners.
Hispanic-owned firms also contributed to the Port’s success in 2025 through professional service agreements (which includes architecture, engineering, and design work). While the majority of Hispanic-owned businesses, eighteen, who partnered with the Port in 2025 were on construction projects, the number of Hispanic-owned businesses on professional service agreements was a close second, at thirteen firms.
We love to see the success our Hispanic firms are experiencing in securing and completing construction contracts with the Port but there are other contract types that offer immense opportunity. With the cyclical nature of construction, participation in the other three contract types is vital for continued participation on Port contracts.
It’s fitting that the official theme for Hispanic Heritage Month this year is “Unidos, Somos Más” (“Together, We Are More”). The Port’s celebration of diversity and inclusivity has paid dividends as we have partnered with more diverse firms than ever before, which includes Hispanic-owned firms. We recognize that this past year of contracting is merely a step in the right direction and to continue the momentum, it is imperative for the Port to listen to our Hispanic firms, invest in their development, and advocate on their behalf to reach new heights in the next half decade!
