His business acumen earned him the Rising Star award at the Utah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's first Quixote Awards last week. The awards program, named for Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes' intrepid hero Don Quixote, honors entrepreneurs and professionals in the Latino business community.

"Starting from the bottom . . . I never would have thought I would be in this position," Flores says. "We are here, and we are so happy just to have someplace to work."

Flores, who specializes in dried and fresh chiles, sells produce to some of Salt Lake City's most popular Mexican eateries, including Red Iguana, Blue Iguana, La Frontera, and Rico Mexican Market and Delicatessen.

"We need to recognize small businesses that have built their business from nothing," says Jorge Fierro, a member of the chamber's board and owner of Rico Mexican Market. "[Flores] caters to the Hispanic community, and he is very consistent" with his customers.

David Ibarra, president and chief executive of IBG Inc., eLeadertech Inc. and David Ibarra Enterprises, was named Business Owner of the Year. The three companies are based in Salt Lake City and provide consulting, training and brokering services to the automotive industry.

Gonzalo Palza, a retired Otis Elevator Co. executive, was named Business Person of the Year. Since moving to Salt Lake City in 2000, Palza has served Latino entrepreneurs as founding chairman of the Pete Suazo Business Center and a volunteer and chairman of the Salt Lake chapter of the Service Corps of Retired Executives, or SCORE. He's logged 1,000 hours of face-to-face counseling and continues to teach entrepreneurship at the Pete Suazo Business Center.

"Quixote stands for having fought the windmills and been a little bit crazy. I am flattered to be associated with the award," Palza says.

The Utah Microenterprise Loan Fund was recognized as Organization of the Year. The nonprofit provides loans of $3,000 to $25,000 to entrepreneurs who lack sufficient collateral, credit or business experience to qualify for traditional bank loans. About 25 percent of "micro-loan" recipients are minorities.

rwinters@sltrib.com

2006 Quixote Awards

* Business Owner of the Year: David Ibarra, president and chief executive of IBG Inc., eLeadertech Inc. and David Ibarra Enterprises

* Business Person of the Year: Gonzalo Palza, chairman of the Salt Lake chapter of Service Corps of Retired Executives, or SCORE

* Rising Star: Melquiades Flores, owner of La Superbodega de Vegetales y Frutas

* Lifetime achievement: Archie Archuleta, retired educator and former administrator of minority affairs for Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson

* Organization of the Year: Utah Microenterprise Loan Fund