For Fred Cortes C.E.O. , who emigrated from Nicaragua at the age of 10, opportunity came knocking when a firm he co-owned shut its doors after selling off its primary brand. In January 1993, Cortes took advantage of the open door by purchasing the manufacturing plant from his partners to start a similar firm, QPL Inc. and began the process of re-hiring the 150 employees who had lost their jobs in the plant's closure. It was in that year that Marilyn Edwards, an African American woman from Houston, Texas joined the company as a co-owner and regional manager of the Southwestern area.

After work from QPL's first and largest client, the U.S. Department of Energy, dwindled due to military base closures in 1995, Cortes, QPL's CEO, expanded to the private sector.

Based in rural "Cajun country" in Thibodaux, Louisiana, the African/Hispanic American owned firm owns a 125,000 square foot building -- under one roof -- on an eight-acre track of land located just south of New Orleans in Thibodaux , LA. Their annual production capacity in aerosols and liquids exceeds 35 million cans and 10 million gallons respectively. For Office Depot, QPL manufactures canned air under the Office Depot label.

In 1998 Ernie Ladd, an African American and a legend in two professional athletic arenas - football and wrestling -- joined the firm as a co-owner and public relations Vice President. "Ernie has been mainly responsible for closing major contracts with Office Depot, Chevron and other giants," says Frank Lorenzo QPL's President. The 45-employee firm, whose year end 2001 revenues are projected to exceed $10 million and double its employment.