Resident to Publish Hispanic Yellow Pages

But Jorge Correa is trying to eliminate that barrier.

Correa, a Greensboro resident and owner of Digital Imaging Solutions Center, is responsible for Las Super Guias, the state's largest Spanish-language phone book to date. An initial printing of 25,000 books for the Triad is expected to be available in December. Editions are also planned for the Triangle and Charlotte areas to be available in spring 2003.

"I had (the idea) for awhile, but I had not developed the idea because I never thought there was enough market for it," Correa said.

The phone book will be distributed through various outlets, including shops and public libraries.

He emphasized that the phone book is not simply a listings guide. Correa said it will be more beneficial to Hispanics than other published guides because of its extensive instructional content.

The phone book is made up of three sections -- the blue pages, the yellow pages and the white pages.

"The blue pages and white pages have the equivalent to a relocation guide and the yellow pages are the names addresses and phone numbers of all Hispanic-owned businesses and any American businesses with Spanish customer service that can serve Hispanics," Correa said.

The white pages will not include individuals' address listings because of the transient nature of the Hispanic population, he said.

Correa hopes the variety of businesses in the yellow pages will demonstrate the purchasing power of the Hispanic market.

According to a study by the University of Georgia, Hispanic buying power in North Carolina is expected to rise more over the next five years than other minority groups. Hispanics are expected to spend $8.8 billion in 2002. In 2007, that amount is projected to be $23.2 billion.

Results from the 2000 U.S. Census indicate that the Hispanic population in Orange County grew from 1,279 to 4,342 between 1990 and 2000 -- a 239 percent increase. North Carolina has seen a 439.9 percent increase in the past decade.

Correa, originally from Colombia, said he was inspired to create the phone book by his own experiences.

Carrboro Alderman John Hererra, a first-generation Hispanic, said he expects response to Las Super Guias in Orange County to be extremely positive. "I think any helpful guide at one's fingertips is always welcome, especially with the business community," he said. "It helps the business community a lot, and I think that consumers will benefit from that."

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.