First Annual Miner Business Impact Awards Recognize Trailblazing Miners with Fastest-Growing Businesses
New UTEP awards honor entrepreneurial alumni, extraordinary partners
EL PASO, Texas (May 29, 2025) – From an American company that provides clean fuel for nuclear energy to an entrepreneur who transformed a small scrap metal business into a leading international processor of precious metals, UTEP alumni are behind some extraordinary businesses.
Today, UTEP hosted the first annual Miner Business Impact Awards, recognizing the fastest-growing alumni businesses and leading corporate and organization partners that have made a significant impact on our economy and the University. Recipients were celebrated at an awards ceremony at St. Roger’s Depot.
"Our inaugural Miner Business Impact Awards highlight the best of UTEP, our alumni entrepreneurs and business leaders who are positively impacting the economy and creating good jobs,” said UTEP President Heather Wilson. “The fifteen trailblazers we are honoring have created close to 1,000 jobs in the last three years.”
Honorees included recipients of the Miner Business Trailblazer Award, highlighting the fastest-growing businesses founded, owned or led by UTEP alumni. The 15 honorees collectively have generated more than $425 million in economic activity over three years. Awardees include a Houston-based firm with 350 employees and Fortune 500 clients, as well as a popular grocery store chain with unbeatable bargains and a small, but successful family-run business serving staple golden-brown flautas.
The Partner in Prosperity Award honors UTEP’s corporate partners that help prepare UTEP students for great jobs, sponsor collaborative research and support the University through philanthropy. This year’s award went to Microsoft.
“UTEP and Microsoft share a visionary goal of fostering greater economic opportunity in the Borderplex region,” said Jonathan Childress, a director at Microsoft who leads the U.S. Philanthropies Western Team and the TechSpark initiative in Texas.
“The innovative ideas stemming from UTEP's research, the impactful work of its faculty, and the exceptional talent cultivated by UTEP are all essential components for a thriving community,” he continued. “We deeply value UTEP's leadership and partnership in advancing our joint mission. Microsoft, our community, and the world have greatly benefited from the innovative ideas, dedicated faculty, and talented students of UTEP.”
The Presidential Gold Bar Award, the University’s highest distinction for UTEP partners who have made a transformative and lasting impact on UTEP’s students, faculty and the wider community, was presented to the Paso del Norte Community Foundation and the Paso del Norte Health Foundation.
“The boards and staff of the Paso del Norte Health Foundation and Paso del Norte Community Foundation are honored to receive UTEP’s Presidential Gold Bar Award in recognition of our 30-year partnership working to advance health, education, social services, economic development and quality of life in our region,” said Tracy Yellen, CEO of the Paso del Norte Community Foundation and Paso del Norte Health Foundation.
Partnership efforts have included grants to increase the number and quality of graduates in nursing, pharmacy and occupational and physical therapy, as well as support for public health initiatives like diabetes, smoking and obesity. In addition, the foundations support scholarships for hundreds of undergraduate students in partnership with their fundholders.
This year’s awards are made possible through the generous support of GECU, El Paso Electric, El Paso Inc., KPMG and ADP.
MINER BUSINESS TRAILBLAZER AWARD RECIPIENTS
Amass Solutions
Alumni: James Bramble, Co-Founder/Managing Partner
B.A. in Organizational and Corporate Communication ’11
About: Serving top clients like Meta and Tesla, this premier Houston-based firm specializes in staffing and recruitment for the tech and environmental sectors.
Direct Kinetic Solutions Inc.
Alumni: Ekhi Muniategui, CEO
B.S. in Industrial Engineering ’04
About: With clients like NASA and the U.S. Air Force, this technology company is transforming compact power with a reliable and long-lasting energy source that’s embedded directly alongside a device’s battery.
Economy Cash and Carry Inc. dba Economy Wholesale Grocers
Alumni: Paul Dipp, President
BBA in Management ’77
About: Serving the U.S. and Mexico, Economy Wholesale Grocers is a regional leader in wholesale commerce, distributing grocery-related products by package, case, pallet or truckload with exceptional customer service.
enCore Energy Corp.
Alumni: William M. Sheriff, Executive Chair/Founder
M.S. in Geological Sciences ’10
About: Providing clean, reliable and affordable fuel for nuclear engery, encore Energy Corp. is the only U.S. uranium company with multiple central processing plants in operation.
Hermos Enterprises Inc. dba Platinum West Catalyst
Alumni: Esau Hermosillo, Founder/President
BBA in Marketing ’07; MBA in Finance ’10
About: What started as a small scrap metal business has become a leading international processor of automotive catalysts and parts, mining used parts for precious metals.
Industrial Water Services
Alumni: Paul Diaz, President
B.S. in Electrical Engineering ’09
About: Industrial Water Services engineers tailored water treatment systems for residential, municipal, industrial and commercial customers in the Southwest U.S. and Northern Mexico.
KF Unlimited LLC dba Ke Flauta
Alumni: Karen Aguilar, Co-Owner and Employer Branding Manager
BBA in Management ’17
About: Their perflectly golden-brown flautas and all-you-can-eat salasa bar have become a beloved staple of the El Paso community, blending traditional Mexican cuisine with customer preferences.
Modi Clippers LLC dba Great Clips
Alumni: Chirag Modi, President
M.S. in Industrial Engineering ’02
About: Located due west of Philadelphia, Modi Clippers operates multiple Great Clips franchise locations with a team of 80 employees who deliver accessible, high quality hair salon services.
New Beginnings Pediatric Speech Therapy Services PLLC
Alumni: Monica Contreras-Tullius, Owner and Clinical Administrator
B.S. in Speech Language Pathology ’92; M.S. in Speech Language Pathology ’94
About: For the past 16 years, New Beginnings has focused on transforming children’s lives through speech, occupational, physical and feeding therapies to meet variety of developmental needs.
Raxis Engineering LLC
Alumni: Jose Alejandro Morales, Principal/Co-Founder
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering ’05
About: A mechanical, electric and plumbing consulting firm, Raxis Engineering LLC specializes in the design of educational, commercial, industrial and institutional building with an emphasis on sustainable, energy-efficient and cost-effective engineering solutions.
SBNG Certified Public Accountants
Alumni: Shareholders Tello Cabrera, CPA, BBA in Accounting ’12 and M.Acc. ’14; Guillermo Diaz, CPA, BBA in Accounting ’04; Oscar Loy, Jr., CPA, BBA in Accounting ’13 and M.Acc. ’15; and Imelda Moreno, CPA, BBA in Accounting ’09
About: Proudly led by four UTEP alumni, SBNG is a full-service public accounting firm offering auditing, tax, attestation and advisory services that are tailored to meet the needs of each client.
Square Communications LLC
Alumni: Marisol Trevino, Partner/CEO
BBA in Marketing ’08; BBA in Accounting ’14
About: A full-service marketing agency known for its excellence, transparency and creativity, Square Communications specializes in reaching Hispanic audiences.
Sun City Dieticians
Alumni: Sarah Ruiz, Founder
Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Health Science ’21
About: This private practice offers personalized care and support in nutrition and diabetes education through culturally relevant, evidence-based guidance.
TRE & Associates LLC
Alumni: Linda Troncoso, President
B.S. in Civil Engineering ’98 and M.S. in Environmental Engineering ’05
About: With over 80 years of combined engineering experience, this El Paso and Austin based civil engineering firm specializes in water and wastewater infrastructure, land development and municipal engineering projects.
WestStar Title LLC
Alumni: Bernardo del Hierro, President
B.A. in Organizational Communication and Public Relations ’02
About: WestStar Title provides title insurance, settlement and escrow services to the Borderplex region, supporting families, businesses, non-profits and the very fabric of the community.
Last Updated on May 29, 2025 at 12:00 AM | Originally published May 29, 2025
By MC Staff UTEP Marketing and Communications
