About John Otero
Starting a business from the ground up is tough; doing so without an umbrella is even more intimidating. But John Otero has never shied away from a challenge.
Born in Puerto Rico, Mr. Otero is a first-generation American who grew up in the Bronx. When he needed to support himself at the young age of 16, he earned a general equivalency diploma and enlisted for service in the United States Navy. Honorably discharged at age 21, he was still without a safety net, but had learned a number of valuable skills that would serve him well – discipline, structure and, most importantly, relationship building.
After being discharged, Mr. Otero went to work stocking shelves for an inner-city supermarket. He soon moved on to a higher level position of food broker at another company. In this role, Mr. Otero studied the needs of the supermarket industry and realized that it would benefit from the distribution of circulars. This was the birth of Advertisement Carriers Enterprises (ACE) in 1995, Mr. Otero’s first entrepreneurial venture. Today, ACE handles and delivers nearly half-a-billion advertising pieces a year. To meet the changing needs of customers, ACE now additionally offers digital marketing services.
Mr. Otero’s success working in the inner-city supermarket industry and his understanding of the needs of the urban population of New York City well prepared him for diversification into the ice distribution industry. In 2017, he was welcomed as a partner at Mo Ice. With his strategic direction, Mo Ice streamlined operations and grew its client base and profits. The business now serves all of the Bronx and Manhattan.
While the products differ, Mr. Otero brings the same vision, integrity, and cultural sensitivity to each business he embarks upon. Now settled in the Hudson Valley with his wife of 20 years and two children, Mr. Otero is always on the lookout for exciting business opportunities in need of investment and his professional experience. He greatly values the lasting partnerships he has forged and will bring the same tenacity and hands-on approach to his future endeavors.
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