Company Creates Spanish Phone Book

Spanish Phone Book Inc.
Owner: Jorge Melgar
Address: 1602 W. Magnolia, Rogers, 72757
Phone/Fax: (479) 544-0885
Hours: By appointment
Startup date: June 1

Jorge Melgar has been working since early summer to build a Spanish language telephone directory for Northwest Arkansas. Expected to be distributed starting in January, Melgar said he’s been pleased with the response from advertisers to the book.

“I was expecting less, but fortunately the market gave me a good answer,” Melgar said.

Melgar, a native of Peru, has lived in Northwest Arkansas for three years. He left his job as the production manager for The Hometown Directory, to launch the new Spanish directory for the area.

With help from his girlfriend, Melgar was able to pull the Spanish names and addresses from local directories to compile the new listing. Next year’s edition will be easier, with only an update of those names to be done, he said.

Melgar also hired a couple of advertising representatives who sold ads to both Hispanic and American businesses. But all the ads will be translated into English.

Melgar said he operates the Spanish Phone Book from his home, using two computers and plenty of his time.

The publication will be distributed to the home addresses listed in the book, Hispanic businesses, and a number of other businesses and public places Hispanic people frequent. Melgar said he had 20,000 copies of the 210-page book printed.

Melgar declined to say what he invested to launch the new directory, but he said there will be some profit from the first issue.

“I think it was a good idea,” Melgar said. “I will have some profit.”