Ninth Annual SCORE Awards Honor Outstanding Small Business Owners and Supporters

WASHINGTON, Aug. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- SCORE, mentors to America's small businesses, announces the winners of the 2017 SCORE Awards, which recognize outstanding examples of successful, innovative SCORE mentees, as well as important advocates for small business. Winners will be honored at the SCORE Awards Gala on Sept. 14, 2017 at Hilton McLean Tysons Corner.  

Senator Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia will receive the Senate Small Business Champion Award and Congressman Tom Graves of Georgia will receive the House Small Business Champion Award. As SCORE's top small business awards, these are presented annually to members of Congress in recognition of outstanding advocacy and action, both within Congress and beyond, on behalf of small businesses nationwide.

"This year's SCORE Awards are a true celebration of the American entrepreneurial spirit," said Resa Kierstein, Vice President of Development for SCORE. "Our winners come from diverse backgrounds, industries and regions, but each embody the courage, perseverance, and vision necessary to create successful small businesses. A special thanks as well to our SCORE Awards sponsors, who strengthen our efforts to educate, support and advocate for the millions of entrepreneurs pursuing the American dream."

Congratulations to this year's SCORE Award recipients, who were chosen based on their business success, positive community impact and strong relationship with their SCORE mentor:

Outstanding American Manufacturer, presented by Sam's Club
Desserts Out The Jar and More of Saint Louis, MO
Mentor: Gregory Shapiro

Outstanding Community Impact Business, presented by MassMutual
Aunt Laurie's of Bluffton, SC
Mentors: Rod Casavant

Outstanding Diverse Business, presented by AT&T
Vegan Distribution of Hayward, CA
Mentor: Mitchell Grunat

Outstanding Encore Entrepreneur, presented by Liberty Tax
Hughes Barney Investigations, LLC of Largo, MD
Mentor: Karen Williams

Outstanding Franchise Business, presented by FranNet
College Hunks Hauling Junk of Northern Virginia, of Falls Church, VA
Mentors: Len Briskman, Richard Rose

Outstanding Green Business, presented by FedEx
Stat-Medicament-Disposal Corporation of Siloam Springs, AR
Mentor: Gregg Gimlin

Outstanding Innovative Business, presented by Verisign
CapeAble Sensory Products, LLC of Fort Wayne, IN
Mentor: Bill Causey

Outstanding Job Creator Business, presented by Intuit
Advocations of Charlotte, NC
Mentors: Adriana McLane, Chuck Sawicki

Outstanding Veteran-Owned Small Business, presented by Kimco Realty
Urban Dwell of Washington, D.C.
Mentor: Richard Rose

Outstanding Woman-Owned Business, presented by Constant Contact
Sugar Beeze, LLC of Greenville, SC
Mentor: Bill Heitz

Outstanding Young Entrepreneur, presented by Deluxe Corporation
The One Gallon Soap Company of Scarborough, ME
Mentors: Chuck Grossman, Donna LeBreux

"We are proud to recognize these outstanding small business owners, and to celebrate the role their SCORE mentors have played in their success," said SCORE CEO Ken Yancey. "Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 10 million entrepreneurs to start or grow their business. By sharing just a few of these powerful stories, we hope to inspire others to pursue their own entrepreneurial dreams, and to take full advantage of the resources that SCORE provides."

Learn more about each SCORE Award winner at www.score.org/score-awards.

American Small Business Championship Grand Champions Announced:

The SCORE Awards Gala will also feature a special announcement of the three Grand Champion winners of the 2017 American Small Business Championship, who will each be presented with a $25,000 grand prize. Made possible by a generous grant from Sam's Club, the championship brought together small business owners and entrepreneurs from across the United States. 102 finalists were awarded a $1,000 Sam's Club gift card, trips to training events, SCORE mentoring and publicity. A judging panel of small business experts then determined the Grand Champions based on how effectively each winner utilized their prizes to grow and build their business.

The SCORE Awards Gala is open to members of the press. To join us on Sept. 14, 2017 at Hilton McLean Tysons Corner in McLean, Virginia, please email [email protected].

About SCORE
Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 10 million aspiring entrepreneurs. Each year, SCORE's 10,000 volunteer business experts provide 350,000+ free small business mentoring sessions, workshops and educational services to clients in 300 chapters nationwide. In 2016, SCORE volunteers provided 2.2+ million hours to help create more than 55,000 small businesses and 130,000 full-time, part-time and contractor jobs.

For more information about starting or operating a small business, visit SCORE at www.score.org. Follow @SCOREMentors on Facebook and Twitter for the latest small business news and updates.

Contact Information
Betsy Dougert 
703-487-3677 
[email protected]

SOURCE SCORE

Related Links

https://www.score.org