Community Leader Frank Venegas, Jr. Shares How His Unique Story Has Helped Him Support The Hispanic Community of Detroit

Southfield (CW50) - Frank Venegas, Jr. has quite the unique story when it comes to being a business owner. But through his achievements, Venegas has been able to help the Hispanic community in Metro Detroit find jobs and prosper through the benefits he's able to provide alongside the work.

Venegas's story starts very similar to those of Latin American descent - His grandparents immigrated to the United States, eventually making their way to Michigan, planting roots near Detroit, and building a foundation for generations of family.

His grandfather worked as a gatekeeper at the Ford Motor Company, then worked 41 years at the company as a press operator. Venegas's father also ended up working on that same long alongside him for 31 years. The legacy of his family was founded on his grandparents helping other families coming in from Mexico establish themselves in the Detroit area.

Venegas found himself in Southwest Detroit throughout his life, and during that time he won a Cadillac in a car draw, which he turned and sold for $12,000 dollars. He used that money to build his business and purchased the Cadillac Clark Street Plant, which ironically was the plant that the Cadillac he sold was built in.

He renovated the building and made it into a manufacturing plant. He employs around 400 people at the plant, with hundreds more at locations he built around the country through his company Ideal Group.

In order to continue his family's legacy of helping the community, Ideal Group has a nearly 50% Hispanic workforce, of which 90% come from the Metro Detroit community.

Frank Venegas Jr. joins Lisa Germani on Community Connect to tell his family's story, the story of his business, and the work he does for the community.

Venegas also talked about what he sees in his employees when they come to work everyday.

"Me... I see me. When I look at people here, I watch them grow up, come through the business, become General Managers and Vice Presidents. I look at everyone as an opportunity, just as I looked at myself, I has the opportunity."

Learn more about Ideal Group at WeAreIdeal.com

Watch Community Connect, Saturday at 7am on CW50