An Air Force veteran who founded a medical logistics company in a cramped rental unit and a U.S. Navy veteran who seeks out contracts to benefit other servicemen and women are just two of this year’s Small Business Person of the Year winners as chosen by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
Lars Herman, CEO of Herman Construction Group, Inc., was recently selected as the recipient of California’s Small Business Person of the Year Award. His construction company is based out of Escondido and has been in business since 2009, serving private companies and Department of Defense (DoD) contracts. Herman, a U.S. Navy veteran, often pursues contracts like those renovating Department of Veterans Affairs’ hospitals so he can give back to other veterans.
This year’s winner from Georgia is another veteran who has transitioned the values and skills learned in the military into a successful career as an entrepreneur. Kevin Boykin is the CEO of Path-Tec LLC in Midland, Georgia. Currently, his medical logistics company specializing in packaging, transporting and tracking laboratory specimens owns a 130,000 square-foot facility with over 150 employees. However, Boykin started the firm in 2005 from a rental storage unit.
All of the winners listed below have been invited to Washington, D.C., on April 30 and May 1 where they will be honored and the 2017 National Small Business Person of the Year, along with three runners up, will be chosen. They come from all of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Coinciding with the event is The National Small Business Week, which has run since 1963 by presidential proclamation on the first week in May.
2017 Small Business Person of the Year Winners
Alabama
Jodie Ray Stanfield, Owner, Local Joe’s Trading Post, Rainbow City, AL
Alaska
David McCarthy, CEO; Jason Motyka, CFO, Denali Visions 3000, Denali Park, AK
Arizona
Vickie Herd, Manager, Extended Family Disability Services, LLC/Bella Rose, Chandler, AZ
Arkansas
Victoria A. Washington, President, Vision Information Technology Consultants LLC, Little Rock, AR
California
Lars Christopher Herman, President, Herman Construction Group, Inc., Escondido, CA
Colorado
Lorena P. Cantarovici, Owner, Maria Empanada, Denver, CO
Connecticut
Carla Bartolucci, President, Euro-USA Trading Co., Inc., North Stonington, CT
Delaware
Donna L. Vanderwende, Owner, Vanderwende Farm Creamery, Bridgeville, DE
District of Columbia
Robert W. Dozier Jr., President & CEO, RWD Consulting, LLC, Washington, DC
Florida
Paul Morrow, President, South Dave Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, Homestead, FL
Georgia
Kevin B. Boykin, CEO, Path-Tec, LLC, Midland, GA
Guam
Derrick Muna Quinata, CEO/Dealer Principal, Guam Autospot, Hagatna, Guam
Hawaii
Garrett Marrero, President & CEO; Melanie Oxley, Vice President & COO, Maui Brewing Company, Kihei, HI
Idaho
Eric L. Browning, CEO, Owner and Manager; Steven J. Browning, CFO, Co-Owner, Fin Fun, Idaho Falls, ID
Illinois
Sonat Birnecker Hart, President; Robert Birnecker, CEO, Koval Distillery, Inc., Chicago, IL
Indiana
Joey Rivera, Ph.D., President & CEO, Rivera Consulting Group, Sellersburg, IN
Iowa
Benny Duane Puck, President, Puck Custom Enterprises, Inc., Manning, IA
Kansas
Ken Bellesine, Owner, Central Electropolishing Co., Inc., Anthony, KS
Kentucky
Debra Dudley, President, Oscarware, Inc., Bonnieville, KY
Louisiana
Alejandro (Alex) Hernandez, President, Hernandez Consulting & Construction, New Orleans, LA
Maine
Leigh S. Kellis, Founder/Owner, The Holy Donut, Portland, ME
Maryland
Kara DiPietro, CEO, HMC Incorporated, Columbia, MD
Massachusetts
Victoria Bondoc, President & CEO, Gemini Industries, Inc., Burlington, MA
Michigan
Jon Lanning, President, Finance, Inontime, LLC, Zeeland, MI
Minnesota
Shirley Joann Wikner, CEO, Aviation Charter and Executive Aviation, Eden Prairie, MN
Mississippi
Mary J. Russell, President and Founder, Sugaree’s Bakery, New Albany, MS
Missouri
Phillip Cohen, Founder and President, Cohen Architectural Woodworking, St. James, MO
Montana
Mark Bretz, CEO and Chairman, Bretz RV and Marine, Missoula, MT
Nebraska
Cody C. Brooks, Owner; Chrystal Brooks, Co-Owner, White River Feed, LLC, Chadron, NE
Nevada
Dr. Eva D. Littman, Owner, Red Rock Fertility, Sunset Surgery Center, LLC, Las Vegas, NV
New Hampshire
Jake Reder, CEO, Celdara Medical, LLC, Lebanon, NH
New Jersey
Dr. Lisa Aumiller, HousePaws Mobile Veterinary Service, Mt. Laurel, NJ
New Mexico
Mario Burgos, President & CEO; David Burgos, Vice President, Burgos Group LLC, Albuquerque, NM
New York
Pamela Newman, CEO, ISS Action, Queens, NY
North Carolina
Michelle Coffino, Owner, Queen City Metal Recycling & Salvage, LLC, Charlotte, NC
North Dakota
Eric Mauch, CEO, Razor Consulting Solutions, Inc. & Razor Tracking, Inc., Watford City, ND
Ohio
Robert Chapman Kocian, President, The Auto Bolt Company, Cleveland, OH
Oklahoma
Melinda Stinnett, Managing Director, Stinnett & Associates, Tulsa, OK
Oregon
Brandon James Vaughn, President, All-Clean Property Maintenance LLC, Troutdale, OR
Pennsylvania
Elvin Eugene Stoltzfus, President, Pik Rite, Inc., Lewisburg, PA
Puerto Rico
Victor Miguel Rivera Solanas, President; Maria Paula Rivera Solanas, Vice President, Atencion Atencion, San Juan, PR
Rhode Island
Gary M. Palardy, President and CEO, Blue Moon Industries, Providence, RI
South Carolina
Vickie Wyatt, President, J.I.T. Manufacturing, Cowpens, SC
South Dakota
Beth Hanna, Owner/Director, Building Blocks Childcare and Learning Center, LLC, Brandon, SD
Tennessee
Dan LeVan, CEO, EnerG3, Chattanooga, TN
Texas
Deborah Paris, President and Manager, StraCon Services Group, LLC, Fort Worth, TX
Utah
Stefanie Bevans, CEO; Joshua Bevans, CTO, Design To Print, Inc., St. George, UT
Vermont
Michael Lawrence Rainville, President, Maple Landmark, Inc., Middlebury, VT
Virgnia
Corliss Udoema, President & CEO, Contract Solutions, Inc., Manassas, VA
U.S. Virgin Islands
Kevin Joseph Schnell, Owner/Operator; Maya Alissa Matthews-Sterling, Owner/Manager, Caribbean Solar Company LLC, St. John, VI
Washington
Rozanne Garman, President, RHD Enterprises, Inc., Lacey, WA
West Virginia
Matthew Paul Knott, President & CEO, River Riders, Inc. and Clarion Inn Harpers Ferry, Harpers Ferry, WV
Wisconsin
Kristina Pence-Dunow, President & CEO, Hometown Trolley, Inc., Crandon, WI
Wyoming
Janie Celeste Wait, President, Intermountain Record Center, Inc., Casper, WY
Image: Small Business Administration
This article, “Navy and Air Force Veterans Win SBA Honors for 2017” was first published on Small Business Trends