Press release 20-23

Nation’s Top Small Businesses to be Recognized

WASHINGTON – Today, Administrator Jovita Carranza, the head of the U.S. Small Business Administration formally announced National Small Business Week,...

WASHINGTON – Today, Administrator Jovita Carranza, the head of the U.S. Small Business Administration formally announced National Small Business Week, May 3-9, 2020, along with  the 2020 Small Business Persons of the Year winners from throughout the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam. The winners have been invited to attend ceremonies in Washington, D.C., on May 3-4, where they will be honored with their individual award. During the ceremonies, the SBA will announce the 2020 National Small Business Person of the Year among the individual winners represented from across the U.S. and territories.

Administrator Carranza will start the week in Washington, D.C., where she will recognize and award outstanding small business owners and SBA Resource Partners from around the nation. She will continue the week meeting with local entrepreneurs, visiting small businesses, and holding roundtable discussions with community leaders in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Pa., Charlotte, N.C., Denver, Colo. and Anaheim, Calif.

“What an honor it is for me to recognize the National Small Business Week state and territorial winners from across the nation whose exceptional hard work has created and built successful small businesses,” said Carranza.  “These women and men not only realized their dreams of entrepreneurship but have also been tremendous job creators, helping to expand our economy. They represent the 30 million American small businesses – our nation’s innovators and risk-takers.” 

Also, the SBA will co-host a free, two-day virtual conference, May 5-6, featuring educational workshops and networking. National Small Business Week recognition and educational seminars throughout SBA’s 10 Regions and 68 Districts will be held during the week.   

During National Small Business Week, additional award winners will be recognized for their involvement in disaster recovery, government contracting, and their support for small businesses and entrepreneurship. Awards will be presented to SBA partners in financial and entrepreneurial development, including top SCORE Chapter, Small Business Development Center, Women’s Business Center and Veterans Business Outreach Center.

Details and registration information will be posted on www.sba.gov/NSBW as events are finalized.

 

2020 State and Territory Small Business Person(s) of the Year

 

ALABAMA

Sridhara R. Gutti

Founder and President

Essnova Solutions, Inc.

Birmingham, AL 35203

 

ALASKA

Christy NaMee Eriksen

Owner

The Kindred Post, LLC

Juneau, AK 99801

 

ARIZONA

Peter Van Bogaert

President

PVB Fabrications, Inc.

Tucson, AZ 85705

 

ARKANSAS

Travis Daniel Bird

Owner/CEO

Arkansas Elite Welding Academy, LLC

Quitman, AR 72131

 

CALIFORNIA

Alice Chun Kao

CEO/Co-Founder

Sender One Climbing, LLC

Santa Ana, CA 92705

 

COLORADO

David Levesque

Owner/Founder/Brewmaster

Henry Rusch

Co-Owner/Founder

Launch Pad Brewery

Aurora, CO 80017

 

CONNECTICUT

Matthew Thomas Beaudoin

Operating Member/Artisan

Mystic Knotwork, LLC

Mystic, CT 06355

DELAWARE

Christopher Alan Burkhard

President

Placers

Newark, DE 19711

 

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Christi Venable, LPC

CEO/Therapist

SMILE Therapy Services LLC

Washington, D.C. 20019

 

FLORIDA

Ryan Carter

Executive VP and Co-Owner

Scotlynn USA Division Inc.

Fort Myers, FL 33908

 

GEORGIA

Kraig Torres

Founder and President

Hop City Craft Beer & Wine

Atlanta, GA 30307

 

GUAM

Susan Biolchino

President

Jessie Rosario

Vice President of Sales and Marketing

Christopher Biolchino

Vice President, Technology

Graphic Center, Inc.

Tamuning, Guam 96913

 

HAWAII

Christine Lanning

President

Integrated Security Technologies Inc.

Waipahu, HI 96797

 

IDAHO

John Dehoff

Partner

Carina Dehoff

Leisureland RV Center LLC

Boise, ID 83716

 

ILLINOIS

Molly Meyer

Founder & CEO

Omni Ecosystems

Chicago, IL 60607

 

INDIANA

Sherri Davis

President/CEO

Paragon Force Inc.

Bloomfield, IN 47424

 

IOWA

Sabetha R. Mumm

Owner/Instructor

Dance Vision

Johnston, IA 50131

 

KANSAS

Amie J. Tripp-Bristol

President & CEO

HMC Performance Coatings, LLC

Tonganoxie, KS 66086

 

KENTUCKY

Mavis Linnemann-Clark

Owner/Founder

The Delish Dish, LLC; Made by Mavis; Kickstart Kitchen

Covington, KY 41011

 

LOUISIANA

James Jerrard Moore

Managing Partner

Expert Maintenance & Construction Services LLC

Gonzales, LA 70737

 

MAINE

Nathaniel Pierce

President

Aaron Anker

Vice President

Bountiful Berry, Inc.

Dba Grandy Oats

Hiram, Maine 04041

 

MARYLAND

Anton Che Bizzell, MD

President & CEO

The Bizzell Group LLC

Lanham, MD 20706

 

MASSACHUSETTS

Brian Geisel

CEO

Geisel Software

Worcester, MA 01606

 

MICHIGAN

Nate McFadden

Owner & President

Elevated Technologies Inc.

Grand Rapids, MI 49503

 

MINNESOTA

Paula Trenda

CEO and Founder

Curly Girlz Candy, Inc.

Owatonna, MN 55060

 

MISSISSIPPI

Vera D. Hall

Managing Member/Principal

Innovative Performance Construction Co., LLC

Fayette, MS 39069

 

MISSOURI

Kelsey M. Raymond

Co-founder/CEO

Influence & Co.

Columbia, MO 65203

 

MONTANA

Keelan James

Co-Owner

Brianna James

Co-Owner

Easy Lawn Hydroseeding LLC

Belgrade, MT 59714

 

NEBRASKA

Rakesh Srivastava

President and Founder

Innovative Prosthetics & Orthotics; Shabri, LLC

Hastings, NE 68901

 

NEVADA

Paul L. Sallach

President

All In Aviation, LLC

(Skys The Limit In., Lodge

Haven LLC; Double Down Aviation LLC)

Las Vegas, NV 89130

 

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Albert J. Letizio Jr.

President/CEO

A.J. Letizio Sales and Marketing, Inc.

Windham, NH 03087

 

NEW JERSEY

Christopher D. Finnick

Chief Executive Officer/Owner

Mama’s Southern Style BBQ 2, LLC

Vauxhall, NJ 07088

 

NEW MEXICO

William A. Goodman, Ph.D.

President & CEO

Goodman Technologies LLC

Albuquerque, NM 87109

 

NEW YORK

Raj Mehta

CEO

Raj Technologies Inc.

Plainview, NY 11803

 

NORTH CAROLINA

William H. Howe

President

Rick Hill

COO

Mick Zulpo

Director of Sales & Marketing

Apex Instruments Inc.

Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526

 

NORTH DAKOTA

Charissa Rubey

CEO/Sales & Marketing Executive Director

Dakota Micro, Inc.

Cayuga, ND 58013

 

OHIO

John Christopher Rush

CEO/President

CleanTurn International LLC

Columbus, OH 43222

 

OKLAHOMA

Lisa Woodward Riley

President

Power of Three Investments

Dba Pinot’s Palette

Tulsa, OK 74146

 

OREGON

Shelia Kilpatrick

Founder/Executive Director

Discovery Gardens Childcare, LLC

Portland, OR 97217

 

PENNSYLVANIA

Cynthia T. Gallo

President

Fiber Business Solutions Group, Inc.

Dba G Force

Norristown, PA 19403

 

PUERTO RICO

Marisol Otero Perez

President

Proassets LLC

Guaynabo, PR 00965

 

RHODE ISLAND

Harmony Oschefski

Cedar Hwang

Co-Owners

The Bodhi Spa

Newport, RI 02840

 

SOUTH CAROLINA

Furman E. Burgess

President/Owner

Diversified Systems Inc. – Foothills Properties LLC

Greenville, SC 29609

 

SOUTH DAKOTA

Randy Gruenwald

President

Dakota Butcher

Clark, SD 57225

 

TEXAS

Timothy Marlo Porter

Founder and CEO

Appddiction Studio LLC

San Antonio, TX 78247

 

UTAH

Joseph Watson

CEO

Jen Watson

CFO

K9 Sport Sack

Orem, Utah 84058

 

VERMONT

Sean Lawson

Founding Brewer/CEO

Karen Lawson

Chief Creative Officer

Lawson’s Finest Liquids, LLC

Waitsfield, VT 05673

 

VIRGINIA

George L. Nyfeler III, LS, LEED, AP

President

Nyfeler Associates LLC

Richmond, VA 23220-5502

 

WASHINGTON

Olga Sagan

Owner

Piroshky Piroshky

Seattle, WA 98108

 

WEST VIRGINIA

Brenda Faye Sheldon

President/CEO

Kimberly Allyn Eastman

Co-Owner

Hospitality Cleaning Solutions, LLC

Hurricane, WV 25526

 

 

WISCONSIN

Mark D. Becker

Co-Founder/COO

Jeffrey K. Peterson

Co-Founder/CEO

Geneva Supply Inc.

Delavan, WI 53115

 

WYOMING

Brady Lewis, PE

President/CEO

Jack Fritz

Director of Operations

Chad Reed

Branch Manager

Darrin Tromble

Branch Manager

Greg Reid

Branch Manager

Murray Schroeder

Branch Manager

Shawn Higley

Branch Manager

WWC Engineering

Sheridan, WY 82801

 

About National Small Business Week

For more than 50 years, the President of the United States has issued a proclamation announcing National Small Business Week, which recognizes the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners.  More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year.  As part of National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration takes the opportunity to highlight the impact of outstanding entrepreneurs, small business owners, and others from all 50 states and U.S. territories. Every day, they’re working to grow small businesses, create 21st century jobs, drive innovation, and increase America’s global competitiveness.

About the U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership.

As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

Media contacts

Carol R. Wilkerson