National Small Business Week Kicks Off

Celebrating America’s Entrepreneurs

The U.S. Small Business Administration kicks off Small Business Week today with the theme “SBA: Dream Big, Start Small.” This event has been held annually since 1963 to recognize the nation’s top small businesses, entrepreneurs, small business advocates and champions. According to the SBA, this event serves to “highlight the impact of outstanding entrepreneurs, small business owners and others from across the nation.”

Throughout the week, small business events will be held in Miami, Los Angeles, San Antonio, and New York City before the final event in Washington D.C. where national award winners will be recognized.

As the winner of the Exporter of the Year award, Sawyer Mfg. is pleased to be one of the recipients at this final event after competing against state-level award recipients from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam.

Joining Sawyer in Washington will be a whole host of other small businesses receiving awards and much-deserved recognition.

Finalists for National Small Business Person of the Year

Carol M. Craig
Craig Technologies – Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Necole Parker
The ELOCEN Group LLC – Washington, D.C.

Alan R. Doan & Sarah B. Galbraith
Missouri Star Quilt Company – Hamilton, Mo.

Michael Miqueli
San Antonio Broker Services, Inc – North Bergen, N.J.

Richard Jackson
American Document Services, LLC – Las Cruces, N.M.

Charles Feit
OnForce Solar, Inc. – Bronx, N.Y.

The National Small Business Person of the Year is selected from the winners of the award at the state level. Criteria for this award include: staying power; growth in number of employees; increase in sales and/or unit volume; current and past financial performance; innovativeness of product or service offered; response to adversity; and contributions to community-oriented projects.

Small Business Development Center Excellence and Innovation Award

Louisiana Small Business Development Center at Southeastern Louisiana University – Hammond, La

William Joubert, Center Director
Sandy A. Summers, Assistant Director/Training Coordinator
Wayne R. Ricks, Senior Business Consultant
Brandy M. Boudreax, Business Consultant

This award recognizes a Small Business Development Center Service Center that has demonstrated excellence in providing value to small businesses and advancing program delivery and management through innovation. Criteria for the award include: surpassing performance milestones; building small businesses by creating and implementing innovative programs, events, publications, research materials, and online applications; developing counselors by participating with the lead center in accordance with the network’s strategic plan; and championing the small business and economic development community and advocate for advancing opportunities for entrepreneurial development.

Women’s Business Center of Excellence Award

Instituto Empresarial para la Mujer (Women’s Business Institute) – San Juan, Puerto Rico
Limaris Aponte, WBC Director

This award recognizes a Women’s Business Center that has demonstrated excellence and innovation in assisting women entrepreneurs by providing a wide variety of training and counseling. The criteria for the award include: being smart, bold and accessible; creating and developing innovative events, programs, publications, research materials, and online applications to enhance small business awareness and solutions; advocating for women’s entrepreneurship and the overall small business community; and partnering with a variety of local, state and other entities to grow the program through unique collaborations.

Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) of the Year

Monroe Capital Partners Fund LP – Chicago, Ill.
Theodore L. Koenig, Managing Member

NewSpring Capital – Radnor, Pa.
Michael DiPiano, Managing Partner

This award recognizes high performing Small Business Investment Companies that are licensed pursuant to Section 301 of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958. Criteria for the award include: demonstrated commitment to supporting the growth and expansion of small businesses; commitment to public focus and wellbeing; longevity; size; community involvement; and service to underserved markets.

Prime Contractor of the Year

Key Logic Systems, Inc. – Morgantown, W.Va.
Jon K. Hammock, President and CEO
The Prime Contractor of the Year is awarded to small businesses that have provided the government with outstanding goods and services as prime contractors. Criteria for the award include: quality management; exceptional results/special achievements; cost performance; increase in government sales and/or unit volume; financial performance; and innovativeness of products or services offered.

Subcontractor of the Year

RTH Mechanical Contractors, Inc. – Brentwood, N.H.
Richard T Hansell, President

The Subcontractor of the Year is awarded to small businesses that have provided the government with outstanding goods and services as subcontractors. Criteria for the award include: quality management; exceptional results/special achievements; cost performance; increase in sales and/or unit volume; financial performance; and innovativeness of products or services offered.

Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for Excellence in Construction

Amec Environment & Infrastructure, Inc. – Palm Beach, Fla.
Thomas J. Logan, President

This award recognizes large prime contractors that have excelled in the utilization of small businesses as suppliers and subcontractors. Criteria for the award include maximum practicable opportunity for small businesses; demonstrated management support of the small business program; effectiveness of the small business liaison officer; outreach efforts; assistance to small businesses; participation in a mentor-protégé program; receipt of other awards for small business activities; and use of the System for Award Management’s Dynamic Small Business Search Engine for identification of potential vendors.

Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for Excellence in Research & Development

UT – Battelle, LLC – Oak Ridge, Tenn.
Cassandra M. Stuart, Manager, Small Business Programs Office

This award recognizes large prime contractors that have excelled in the utilization of small businesses as suppliers and subcontractors. Criteria for the award include maximum practicable opportunity for small businesses; demonstrated management support of the small business program; effectiveness of the small business liaison officer; outreach efforts; assistance to small businesses; participation in a mentor-protégé program; receipt of other awards for small business activities; and use of the System for Award Management’s Dynamic Small Business Search Engine for identification of potential vendors.

Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for Excellence in Service

Northrop Grumman Information Systems – McLean, Va.
Lynn Livengood, Sector Manager, Global Supplier Diversity

This award recognizes large prime contractors that have excelled in the utilization of small businesses as suppliers and subcontractors. Criteria for the award include maximum practicable opportunity for small businesses; demonstrated management support of the small business program; effectiveness of the small business liaison officer; outreach efforts; assistance to small businesses; participation in a mentor-protégé program; receipt of other awards for small business activities; and use of the System for Award Management’s Dynamic Small Business Search Engine for identification of potential vendors.

Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for Excellence in Manufacturing

The Boeing Company – St. Louis, Mo.
Sherman Dupre, Director, Boeing SDB & SA

This award recognizes large prime contractors that have excelled in the utilization of small businesses as suppliers and subcontractors. Criteria for the award include maximum practicable opportunity for small businesses; demonstrated management support of the small business program; effectiveness of the small business liaison officer; outreach efforts; assistance to small businesses; participation in a mentor-protégé program; receipt of other awards for small business activities; and use of the System for Award Management’s Dynamic Small Business Search Engine for identification of potential vendors.

Veterans Business Outreach Center of the Year Award

Veterans Business Resource Center – St. Louis, Mo.
Darcella Craven, Executive Director
Damon Chaffin, Business Consultant
Londa Young, Research Analyst
Angela Thomas, Development Coordinator
Debbie Fanning, Administrator
Alan Rohlfing, Outreach Director
Tracy Bently, Business Counselor – KC market
Roger Horn, Volunteer Business Mentor,

This award recognizes Veterans Business Outreach Centers for excellence in providing value to veterans and the veteran small business community by increasing the number of small businesses owned and controlled by veterans. Criteria for the award include: meeting or exceeding VBOC’s performance milestones; helping build small businesses; preparing the VBOC for success; and acknowledgement by local and regional veteran service organizations.