SBA Honors Nation's Top Small Businesses

Winners Will Gather in Washington during National Small Business Week

WASHINGTON, March 13, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Small Business Person of the Year winners from 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam will converge on Washington, D.C. in May, when one of them will be selected as National Small Business Person of the Year during the U.S. Small Business Administration's celebration of National Small Business Week, May 20-22.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110909/DC65875LOGO)

The participating state small business winners represent a broad range of business products, services and innovations, including a gourmet food maker from Maine, a North Carolina microbrewery, a bus-builder from Nevada, a Wisconsin dental clinic, a machine parts miller from Iowa, a trade show producer from New Mexico and 47 others from across the country.  

While in D.C., the winners will have opportunities to meet with top administration officials, congressional representatives and national business leaders.  The highlight of the celebration will come when one of them is named National Small Business Person of the Year. 

National Small Business Week is cosponsored by the SCORE Association as well as numerous corporate and trade sponsors to be announced.

Events on the three-day schedule will be available for viewing virtually through SBA's free, live webcasting, which will be accessible at http://www.nationalsmallbusinessweek.com/.  Interested parties can register online at the same site, where additional information (updated weekly) is available regarding registration, awards ceremonies, small business forums and educational and matchmaking sessions.  The event also will be webcast live at the web site.

Participants also will be recognized for their involvement in disaster recovery, government contracting, and their support for small businesses and entrepreneurship, and awards will be presented to SBA partners in financial and entrepreneurial development, including the year's top SCORE Chapter, Small Business Development Center and Women's Business Center.

The National Small Business Week award events will include the following individuals and groups (Others can be found at the National Small Business Week website at http://www.nationalsmallbusinessweek.com):

• The National Small Business Person of the Year, selected from the State Small Business Persons of the Year.           
• The Champion Awards, recognizing both individuals and organizations for their achievements on behalf of small business, including minority, women and veteran-owned small businesses.
• The Phoenix Awards, recognizing a public official, a business owner and a volunteer whose efforts have helped their businesses or communities recover successfully from a disaster.
• The Lenders of the Year, honoring financial institutions, including those that provide financing for small business exporters and inner city businesses.
• The Entrepreneurial Development Awards honoring Small Business Development Centers, Women's Business Centers and the National SCORE Chapter of the Year for their innovation and excellence in assistance to entrepreneurs and small businesses, plus awards for SCORE, SBDC and Women's Business Center counselors of the year.  
• The Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for Excellence, recognizing large prime contractors who have excelled in their utilization of small businesses as suppliers and subcontractors.
• The Gold Star Award, recognizing exemplary performance of federal staff who manage the aggressive goals and strategic initiatives that help ensure a role for small business in the federal marketplace.
• The Frances Perkins Vanguard Award, honoring industry for excellence in the use of women-owned small businesses as prime contractors and subcontractors.
• The Small Business Prime Contractors and Small Business Subcontractor of the Years, honoring small businesses that have provided government and industry with outstanding goods and services as prime or sub contractors.

Editor's note: A list of state winners is below.  A complete list of all award winners will be available on the National Small Business Week Web site at http://www.nationalsmallbusinessweek.com.

ALASKA
Cynthia "Rene" Haag
President
Blaine's Art, Inc.
1025 Photo Avenue
Anchorage, AK 99503
(907) 561-5344

ARIZONA
Zeferino Banda Jr.
President/CEO
Banda Group Intl., LLC
1799 E. Queen Creek Road, Suite 1
Chandler, AZ 85286
(480) 636-8734

ARKANSAS
Dr. Alexander Lostetter
President & CEO
Jared Hornberger
Director of Manufacturing
Sharmila Mounce
Business Operations Manager
Dr. Roberto Marcelo Schupbach
Chief Technology Officer
Arkansas Power Electronics International, Inc.
535 W. Research Center Blvd., Suite 209
Fayetteville, AR 72701
(479) 443-5759

CALIFORNIA
Jack R. White Jr.
President
Home Brew Mart, Inc.
Dba Ballast Point
10051 Old Grove Avenue
San Diego, CA 92131
(858) 695-2739

COLORADO
James E. Hurley
President
JE Hurley Construction, Inc.
4602 Northpark Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
(719) 265-8668

CONNECTICUT
Lawrence Janesky
Owner/President
Connecticut Basement Systems
60 Silvermine Road
Seymour, CT 06483
(800) 640-1500 ext. 9328

DELAWARE
Eliseo Valenzuela
President
Cheryl A. Valenzuela
Vice President
Joseph A. Wolfe
Executive Director
First State Manufacturing, Inc.
301 SE Fourth Street
Milford, DE 19963
(304) 424-4520

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Ryung Suh, MD
CEO
Mark H. Chichester, JD
President
Atlas Research
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Suite 100
Washington, DC 20007
(202) 717-8710

FLORIDA
Ann D. Sabbag
Founder & CEO
Health Designs, Inc.
35 Executive Way, Suite 110
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082
(904) 285-2019

GEORGIA
Laura L. Darnall
Lois T. Judy
Co-Owners
Candy Craft Creations, LLC
64 Ross Road
Garden City, GA 31415
(912) 232-4410
GUAM
Richard K. Lai
President
Wing On Corporation
P.O. Box 9173
Tamuning, GU 96931
(671) 472-2695

HAWAII
Michael Tokunaga
President
S. Tokunaga Store
26 Hoku Street
Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 935-6965

IDAHO
Sondra F. McMindes, M.S.
Owner
Children's Therapy Place, Inc.
6855 West Fairview Avenue, Suite 120
Boise, ID 83704
(208) 323-8888

ILLINOIS
Michelle Hayward
President
Bluedog Design
403 North Carpenter Street
Chicago, IL 60642
(312) 243-1101

INDIANA
Timothy A. Whicker
President
Electric Plus, Inc.
101 Lincoln Street
Danville, IN 46122
(317) 777-6161

IOWA
Timothy Greene
Owner
Quality Machine of Iowa
1040 Fourth Avenue
Audubon, IA 50025
(712) 563-2598

KANSAS
Gordon L. Jenkins
Mary E. Jenkins
Owners
Cimarron Shurfine Foods, LLC
Dba White's Foodliner
18309 E. Highway 50
P.O. Box 608
Cimarron, KS 67835
(620) 855-3561

KENTUCKY
Donovan Wadsworth
President/CEO
D&M Contracting, Inc.
P.O. Box 1864
Richmond, KY 40475
(859) 624-4078

LOUISIANA
Edward V. Lepre
President & CEO
International Drug Detection, LLC
200 Hickory Avenue
Harahan, LA 70123
(504) 620-0070

MAINE
Michael R. Cote
President & CEO
Look's Gourmet Food Company, Inc.
1112 Cutler Road
Whiting, ME 04691
(207) 259-3341

MARYLAND
Janet Irene Amirault
President and CE
Software Consortium, Inc.
10025 Governor Warfield Parkway, Suite 101
Columbia, MD 21044
(410) 740-1910

MASSACHUSETTS
Paula A. White
CEO & Founder
600 lb. gorillas, Inc.
558 Washington Street
Duxbury, MA 02331
(781) 452-7274

MICHIGAN
John Charles Lowery
President
Applied Imaging
5282 East Paris Avenue, SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49512
(616) 554-5200

MINNESOTA
Darrin Swanson
President & CEO
Kit Masters, Inc. and
Swan Machine, LLC
825 First Street NE
Perham, MN 56573
(218) 346-2121

MISSISSIPPI
Charles E. Fuqua Jr.
Owner
Four Seasons Lawn Care, LLC
4836 Main Street
Moss Point, MS 39563
(228) 355-0373

MISSOURI
Vicki LaRose
President
Civil Design, Inc.
1552 South Seventh Street
St. Louis, MO 63104
(314) 863-5570

MONTANA
Kenneth Clow Walsh
President
Simms Fishing Products, LLC
101 Evergreen Drive
P.O. Box 3645
Bozeman, MT 59772
(406) 585-3557

NEBRASKA
Duane Ohlrich
President
Patricia Ohlrich
Secretary
Industrial Systems & Supply, Inc.
2760 East 29th Avenue
Columbus, NE 68601
(402) 564-4445

NEVADA
Nancy Munoz
Founder/Director
Leah Munoz
President
Rachel Drenk
Secretary
SVI
Dba Specialty Vehicles
440 Mark Leany Drive
Henderson, NV 89011
(702) 567-5256

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Abhijit Nobis
CEO
Nobis Engineering, Inc.
18 Chenell Drive
Concord, NH 03301
(603) 224-4182

NEW JERSEY
Marjorie A. Perry
President & CEO
MZM Construction Company, Inc.
105 Lock Street, Suite 405
Newark, NJ 07103
(973) 242-7100

NEW MEXICO
Gina M. Euell
President
Exhibit Solutions of New Mexico
4301 Masthead St., N.E., Suite C
Albuquerque, NM 87109
(505) 298-5121

NEW YORK
Michael Mandina
President
Richard Plympton
CEO
Optimax Systems, Inc.
6367 Dean Parkway
Ontario, NY 14519
(585) 217-0729

NORTH CAROLINA
Oscar Peter Wong
President
Highland Brewing Company
12 Old Charlotte Highway #H
Asheville, NC 28805
(828) 299-3370

NORTH DAKOTA
Heather Ann Jones
President
City Air Mechanical, Inc.
3505 East Rosser Avenue
Bismarck, ND 58501
(701) 223-3775

OHIO
Victoria P. Tifft
President & CEO
Clinical Research Management, Inc.
1265 Ridge Road
Hinckley, OH 44233
(330) 278-2343

OKLAHOMA
David A. Waits
President & CEO
SST Development Group, Inc.
824 North Country Club Road
Stillwater, OK 74074
(888) 377-5334

OREGON
Charles (Chip) W. Sammons
Owner/President
Holistic Pet Center
15599 SE 82nd
Clackamax, OR 97015
(503) 656-5342

PENNSYLVANIA
Michael Mancuso
Jennifer Mancuso
Owners
Figliomeni Drug Stores
19 Dundaff Street
Carbondale, PA 18407
(570) 282-3033

PUERTO RICO
Oscar Quiles
President
Pentaq Manufacturing Corp.
Rayo Guaras Industrial Park
Sabana Grande, PR 00637
(787) 873-6055

RHODE ISLAND
Carolyn A. Rafaelian
President
Alex and Ani
115 Pettaconsett Avenue
Cranston, RI 02920
(401) 467-3952

SOUTH CAROLINA
Radha B. Herring
Broker-in-Charge
Watermark Real Estate Group
563 Mt. Gilead Road
P.O. Box 956
Murrells Inlet, South Carolina 29576
(843) 314-4284

SOUTH DAKOTA
Kevin J. Berg
President
Emily E. Berg
Vice President
First Manufacturing, LLC
26119 S. Robin Drive
Sioux Falls, SD 57107
(605) 261-7294

TENNESSEE
Michael W. Lister
President
Douglas Allen Renegar
Vice President
Tamara C. Lister
Vice President
Laurel Pryor Renegar
Chief Financial Officer
Famous Five Dining, Inc.
227 Polk Place Drive
Franklin, TN 37064
(615) 791-0536

TEXAS
Michael Paul Minton
Owner
Minton's Sportsplex
5610 Richmond Road
Texarkana, TX 75503
(903) 838-4697

UTAH
Karen Woodbury
President and CEO
Woodbury Technologies, Inc.
1725 East 1450 South, Suite 240
Clearfield, UT 84050
(801) 554-5125

VERMONT
Charles B. Curtis Jr.
CEO
Draker Laboratories
431 Pine Street, Suite 114
Burlington, VT 05401
(802) 865-3866

VIRGINIA
Jonathan L. Hagmaier
CEO
Mary V. Hagmaier
Director of Corporate Relations
Matthew Mark Muller
Solutions Architect
Jacob E. Gibson
VP of Business Development
Interactive Achievement, Inc.
601 Campbell Avenue
Roanoke, VA 24015
(540) 797-5158

WASHINGTON
Marla Beck
Owner and President
Andelcare
14400 Bel-Red Road, Suite 109
Bellevue, WA 98007
(425) 283-0408

WEST VIRGINIA
Frances Foster Brooks
CEO
Gene T. Brooks Jr.
President
BrooAlexa, LLC
405 Maxwell Street
Charleston, WV 25311
(304) 720-1922

WISCONSIN
Dr. Thomas Turner
Dr. Corey Brimacombe
Dr. Carl Hash
Dr. Joshua Spiegl
Owners
First Impressions, S.C.
413 N. 17th Avenue
Wausau, WI 54401
(715) 842-4649

WYOMING
Isaac Lee Swenson
Operator/Owner
Tamara Rae Swenson
Administrator/Owner
Rapid Wire, LLC
78 Sievers Road
Cora, WY 82925
(307) 367-4103 

Small Business Week 2012 sponsors and cosponsors include: the Association of Small Business Development Centers, the InterContinental Hotel Group, Lockheed Martin, the National Association of Development Companies, the National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders, the National Association for the Self-Employed, Northrup Grumman, Office Depot, Paychex, Raytheon, SCORE, the Small Business Investor Alliance, VISA, and Women Impacting Public Policy.

The U.S. Small Business Administration's participation in this cosponsored activity does not constitute an express or implied endorsement of any cosponsor's, donor's, grantee's, contractor's or participant's opinions, products, or services. All SBA programs and cosponsored programs are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Reasonable arrangements for persons with disabilities will be made, if requested at least 2 weeks in advance, by contacting [email protected]. Cosponsorship Authorization #SBW2012.

SBA Media Contacts:
Dennis Byrne  [email protected]  (202) 205-6567
Cecelia Taylor  [email protected]  (202) 401-3059
http://www.sba.gov/news

SOURCE U.S. Small Business Administration

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