ATLANTA – Georgia small businesses were honored among others during the 2024 National Small Business Week Award Winners ceremony.

Release:

The SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, the voice in President Biden’s Cabinet for America’s more than 33 million small businesses, announced the National Small Business Week (NSBW) 2024 Award Winners, including Georgia’s Small Business Person of the Year, and other business owners, leading partners, and advocates who embody the grit and determination that power our nation’s economy and ensure disaster-impacted communities can recover. This year’s NSBW will take place April 28 – May 4, 2024.

“Our 2024 National Small Business Week award winners exemplify excellence, innovation, and commitment, and the SBA is proud to showcase their incredible achievements and impact on their communities and our economy,” said Administrator Guzman. “Under the Biden-Harris Administration, more Americans than ever before are pursuing the American dream of business ownership and able to access more opportunities, with historic investments in communities across America in local infrastructure, broadband, manufacturing, innovation, and clean energy. National Small Business Week is the nation’s opportunity to lift up the amazing entrepreneurs, small business advocates, local partners, advisors, lenders, and investors who support America’s entrepreneurial spirt and the historic Biden-Harris Small Business Boom.”

Georgia Winners

Georgia’s Small Business Person of the Year is Eric Williams, President and CEO of Unified Defense and Prince Service & Manufacturing, two manufacturing companies Williams operates as a single entity in Middle Georgia. His companies manufacture and provide metal components to defense and commercial sectors. Williams received $2.2 million in SBA loans to help finance and expand his organization, including the acquisition of Prince Service & Manufacturing in 2022.

“Unified Defense and Prince Service & Manufacturing is a great example of a small business that is helping power the local economy in middle Georgia by creating and adding jobs to a rural area,” said Terri Denison. “Rural areas rely on small businesses to employ more than 54 percent of workers, and Eric’s personal mission is to help make his rural community a great place to both live and work.”

The SBA’s 2024 National Exporter of the Year is Oscar Felipe Arroyave, President and Founder of Atlanta-based Spectrum International Group, LLC. The company designs, manufactures and sells specialty contact lenses to over 65 countries around the world. Spectrum received an SBA COVID EIDL loan during the pandemic that provided working capital to reach new markets and invest in technology. Additionally, the company has worked with the Small Business Development International Trade Center for SBA loan assistance and received an SBA State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) grant funding in 2022 to help with exports.

“We are excited to congratulate Spectrum International Group’s Founder Oscar Felipe Arroyave for representing the state of Georgia and being named the SBA’s 2024 National Exporter of the Year. Georgia has experienced three consecutiverecord-breaking years for exports, with companies such as Spectrum exporting nearly $50 billion in goods to 215 unique countries and territories. Spectrum is a shining example of how leveraging SBA resource partners and programs can help small businesses expand their global footprint.”

Award Ceremonies

The NSBW Award Ceremonies will take place April 28 – 29, 2024 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Washington, D.C., where Administrator Guzman will recognize the national award winners and individual state winners, and also announce the top honor of National Small Business Person of the Year from among the individual state winners. Administrator Guzman will then launch a roadshow tour from April 30 – May 3, 2024, which will include stops in Manchester, N.H., Milwaukee, Wis., Denver, Colo., and Billings, Mont. Administrator Guzman will be joined by local leaders to honor award-winning small businesses and discuss SBA initiatives and opportunities for the small business community. The week-long National Small Business Week celebration will also feature a virtual summit co-hosted by SCORE, mentors to America’s small businesses.

In Georgia, an awards luncheon will be held in Metro Atlanta in early May honoring the Georgia Small Business Person of the Year, Georgia Exporter, and other local award winners from the state.

2024 State Small Business Persons of the Year:

State	Awardee(s)	Name of Business	City/State
Alabama	Shanna Ullman, Timothy Ullman, Robert Prescott	Transformation Partners LLC	Tuscaloosa, AL
Alaska	Kali C Bennett	The Waterworks	Anchorage, AK
Arizona	Austin Tsosie/Dan Riggs	Dine Development Corporation	Scottsdale, AZ
Arkansas	Lynette West	HealthWear Corp	Jonesboro, AR
California	Carrie A. Schmidt	B.C. Schmidt Construction, Inc.	Colusa, CA
Colorado	Benjamin and Christine Herron	Achieve Sports Center	Denver, CO
Connecticut	Maria Miranda	Miranda Creative	Norwichtown, CT
Delaware	Amy Lord Hughes	Lord’s Landscaping, Inc.	Millville, DE
District of Columbia	Manuel “Manny” Cosme	CFO Service Group	Washington, DC
Florida	Yanet Herrero	KINGS Service Solutions	Orlando, Florida
Georgia	Eric Williams	Unified Defense and Prince Service & Manufacturing	Byron, GA
Guam	Jessica Leon Guerrero	M80 Systems, Inc.	Asan, GU
Hawaii	Ronald B. Panzo	Nalu’s South Shore Grill	Kihei, HI
Idaho	Jeanne McFall	RIVHAB Engineering Design	Eagle, ID
Illinois	Jacqueline Jackson	Kilwins	Chicago, IL
Indiana	DuJuan McCoy	Circle City Broadcasting	Indianapolis, IN
Iowa	Cathy Bishop	Aggie’s Inc.	Sergeant Bluff, IA
Kansas	Dallas M. Haselhorst	Treetop Security, LLC	Hays, KS
Kentucky	Ines M. Rivas-Hutchins	INTEC Group LLC	Lexington, KY
Louisiana	Iam Tucker	Integrated Logistical Support, Incorporated (ILSI, Inc.)	New Orleans, LA
Maine	Matthew Polstein	New England Outdoor Center	Millinocket, ME
Maryland	Rose Maria Li	Rose Li and Associates	Bethesda, MD
Massachusetts	Stephanie Vanderbilt	Coastal Windows & Exteriors	Beverly, MA
Michigan	Tiffany Klingensmith	Unconventional Solutions, Inc.	Wixom, Mi
Minnesota	Micah Eveland; Kent Eveland	Scamp Trailers	Backus, MN
Mississippi	John Ruskey	Quapaw Canoe Co.	Clarksdale, MS
Missouri	Charlie M. Downs III	Sugarfire Smokehouse	St. Louis, MO
Montana	Loretta L. Bolyard, PHD	Mountain West Psychological Resources	Butte, MT
Nebraska	Michael Moravec, PT, DPT, OCS	Bluffs Physical Therapy	Scottsbluff, NE
Nevada	Wanda Luna	Universal Furniture Design	Las Vegas, NV
New Hampshire	Susan Borchert & Betsy Harrison	Counseling Associates	New London, NH
New Jersey	Isabelita “Lita” Marcelo Abele	U.S. Lumber Inc.	Woodbury Heights, NJ
New Mexico	Christopher J. Sweetin	Triskelion Group of New Mexico, Inc.	Albuquerque, NM
New York	Aneesa T. Waheed	Bollywood Masala Corp dba Tara Kitchen	Schenectady, NY
North Carolina	Dylan Reid Gehrken	GREASECYCLE, LLC	Raleigh, NC
North Dakota	Cherie Olson Harms	Leonardite Products, LLC	Williston, ND
Ohio	Ericka Adams	Adams Dental Assisting Academy	Gahanna, OH
Oklahoma	Angelene Wright	Ida Red	Tulsa, OK
Oregon	McKean Banzer-Lausberg, Michael Branes, Colin Rath, and Eric Banzer-Lausberg.	Migration Brewing, LLC	Portland, OR
Pennsylvania	Dorothea Spencer	D Gillette Industrial Services	Easton, PA
Puerto Rico	Eduardo Diaz-Argimon	Baldwin Animal Hospital, PSC	Guaynabo, PR
Rhode Island	Brian Goldman	Big Blue Bug Solutions	Providence, RI
South Carolina	Vickey Evans	CORG Management Group LLC	Columbia, SC
South Dakota	Nick & Greg Heineman	Look’s Marketplace	Sioux Falls, SD
Tennessee	Craig Charles	Crown Cutz Academy	Johnson City, TN
Texas	Tamiko Bailey	Bailey’s Premier Services, LLC	Fort Worth, Texas
Utah	Autumn McGregor	Zion’s Tiny Homes	Hurricane, Utah
Vermont	Kerry Boyle	Integrative Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine	Montpelier, VT
Virginia	Anil Boinapalli	Sky Solutions, LLC	Herndon, VA
Washington	Heather McDowell	Seattle Green Earth Cleaning	Seattle, WA
West Virginia	Lisa Fritsch, Peter Fritsch, Adam Leach and Chet Tobrey	Agile5 Technologies, Inc	Fairmont, WV
Wisconsin	Eric Rupert, Sam McDaniel, Jessica Benish	Fortune Favors	Cottage Grove, WI
Wyoming	Dr. Erica Higgins	Empowered Chiropractic	Casper, WY

In addition to state-level recognition, national awards will also be presented in the following categories to the following:

Small Business Exporter of the Year:

• Spectrum International Group, LLC, Atlanta, GA

Phoenix Awards for Disaster Recovery: 

• Phoenix Award for Small Business Disaster Recovery: The Coffee Shoppe, Selma, AL
• Phoenix Award for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery, Public Official: Dirk Joseph Guidry, Chauvin, LA
• Phoenix Award for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery, Volunteer: Leanne Rogers Lovell, Wynne, AR

Federal Procurement Awards:  

• Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year: Action Manufacturing Company, Bristol, PA
• Small Business Subcontractor of the Year: Knowledge Based Systems, Inc., College Station, TX
• Dwight D. Eisenhower Awards for Excellence – Services (for large prime contractors who use small businesses as suppliers and contractors): Jacobs, Greenwood Village, CO
• Dwight D. Eisenhower Awards for Excellence – Construction (for large prime contractors who use small businesses as suppliers and contractors): Bechtel Corporation, New York, NY
• 8(a) Graduate of the Year: Johnson’s Consulting dba Cetechs, Mesa, AZ

Awards to SBA Resource Partners:  

• SCORE Chapter of the Year Award: SCORE SE Wisconsin Chapter, Milwaukee, WI
• Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Excellence and Innovation Center Award: Aurora-South Metro Small Business Development Center, Aurora, CO
• Women’s Business Center of Excellence Award: Great Lakes Women’s Business Council, Southfield, MI
• Veterans Business Outreach Center of the Year: Mississippi State University VBOC, Starkville, MS

Small Business Investment Company of the Year:

• Emerging Manager:  Mizzen Capital, LP, Stamford, CT
• Established Manger:  Argosy Private Equity, Wayne, PA

Surety Bond Agent of the Year:

• KOG International, Inc., Enola, PA

For more information about National Small Business Week, visit www.sba.gov/NSBW. Media interested in scheduling interviews with Administrator Guzman should contact press_office@sba.gov.  

Cosponsorship Authorization # 24-1-C. SBA’s participation in this Cosponsored Activity is not an endorsement of the views, opinions, products or services of any Cosponsor or other person or entity. All SBA programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.