Opportunities expanding for immigrants in Greater Louisville
Consultant building bridge between Louisville companies and India

It’s stressful enough to move to a foreign country, let alone start a new business in your new land. But that’s exactly what Henry Diaz, of D&D Consulting Services Inc., did. Ten years ago, he and his wife left their native India for the United States. And now, Diaz serves as a link between U.S. firms and his native land. He finds qualified information technology workers from India and can relocate them anywhere in the U.S. within a week. D&D’s local clients include Humana, Healthcare Recoveries, Brown-Forman.

Diaz recently shared his thoughts on immigration and business development with GLI President and CEO Steve Higdon for From the Top

Steve Higdon: Why did you choose Louisville when you and your family moved to the United States? Henry V Diaz: When we came to the United States, we first live in New York. We moved there because we were used to a big city atmosphere in India. We had friends living in Evansville, and they invited us for Thanksgiving weekend. We really enjoyed our stay, so we started looking for jobs in the Midwest. A short time later, my wife found a job in Louisville, and we soon realized that Louisville was a great place to raise a family. SH: Is Greater Louisville’s business climate attractive to minority businesses? What more needs to be done? HVD: Louisville is home to a very close-knit community. For a new immigrant-owned small business, it can take a long time to become established. Small minority-owned businesses and immigrant entrepreneurs are willing to compete and do whatever it takes to succeed and are hoping to be given an opportunity to prove themselves. I must say that I see a lot more diversity now than when we arrived in 1991. I do believe that with the city and county merger, the potential for growth is tremendous because it will put us on the map. SH: What can be done to attract more immigrant entrepreneurs? HVD: People from all over the world come to America because it is the land of free enterprise. New immigrants are automatically drawn to big cities like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco because educated immigrants usually come from big cities in their home country. But I believe that Louisville is a wonderful city and can attract a large immigrant population. First though, we as a community must project Greater Louisville as one of the most livable cities in the United States.

My vision is to help Greater Louisville – the community I live – with its workforce issues for many years to come. By doing this, I can also serve the community that I left behind, by giving an opportunity for professionals in India to live and work in the United States.

Recently I had an opportunity to travel to Nashville with the GLIDE (Greater Louisville Inc. Development Expedition) team. There we discovered that the growth of immigrant population has a lot to do with Nashville’s growth.

I also had an opportunity recently to attend an immigration conference organized by former U.S.Rep. Ron Mazzoli and David Jones Jr. We learned that Louisville has the capacity to absorb highly qualified immigrant workers. We also found out that the best time to bring in immigrants is when they have completed their education, are relatively young and are ready to leverage their skills in the foreign market. This way the government is not spending any money for their education or work-related skills. Being relatively young, they also have lower health care requirements.

Some form of support system for immigrant entrepreneurs will pay off in the long run. Their success will certainly help the community, city and the growth of the economy.

SH: How might the recent terrorist attacks impact immigration in the U.S.?
HVD: From the immigrant’s point of view the United States is still the greatest nation on earth. In spite of the horrendous and horrible events of Sept 11, 2001, and the subsequent developments, I believe that the United States is still the most sought after country in the world for an immigrant to live in. Immigration from the U.S. Government’s view may be put under a microscope in the coming months and years. This is a necessity from a national security viewpoint. But immigration will carry on. It is a way of life and a necessity for the U.S. economy.

SH: Your company helps bring qualified IT workers from India to the U.S. How can other key industries in Louisville – such as healthcare – access skilled workers in other countries with an interest in locating in America?
HVD: We also recently started working with health care companies in the Louisville’s area to bring qualified medical professionals from India. I have made it my personal goal to sincerely help the local community and help the health care industry to fulfill their needs.

Finding the Right Person for Trover Solutions

Bill Moore, director of systems for Trover Solutions, a medical billing, auditing and recovery firm with offices in Louisville and Encino, CA, said he used Diaz’s service to locate a short-term programmer who worked on a special project for about three months.

“We needed someone who had good technical knowledge and an ability to work with people.” Moore said. “Henry made sure that the person he sent us fit. Henry did a good job for us. He is very conscientious.”