SBA Names Eastern Pennsylvania 2015 National Small Business Week Award Winners

EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA – The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Eastern Pennsylvania District Office announced its 2015 Small Business Week Award Winners Tuesday, March 31 and will visit and recognize award winners during the week of May 4-8, National Small Business Week. SBA will also recognize winners during the annual “SBA Day at the Ballpark” networking luncheon and awards ceremony event held June 18, which is followed by a Phillies game at nearby Citizens Bank Park. These events are open to the media.

“As a regional and local recognition of the Presidentially-designated National Small Business Week award winners, this event recognizes the achievements of small business and its advocates in eastern Pennsylvania,” said SBA Eastern Pennsylvania District Director Antonio Leta. “Every year the award winners honored at this event have truly distinguished themselves and represent the very best that the eastern Pennsylvania small business community has to offer.”

The annual “SBA Day at the Ballpark” networking luncheon and awards ceremony begins at 10 a.m. on June 18, 2015 with a luncheon at the “XFINITY Live! Philadelphia” restaurant at 1100 Pattison Ave. followed by a 1:05 p.m. Phillies game at nearby Citizens Bank Park.

Businesses being honored at the 2015 Eastern Pennsylvania Small Business Awards events:

Pennsylvania Small Business Person of the Year: Joseph G. Zidik, President and CEO, Custom Milling & Consulting, Inc. (CMC), Fleetwood, Pa.; nominated by Martin Brill, Program Manager, International Trade, Kutztown University Small Business Development Center

Eastern Pennsylvania District Entrepreneurial Success Award: CounterTek, Inc., Ephrata, Pa., Raymond W. Roux, CEO; nominated by Daniel Beck, Vice President of Community Lending, Community First Fund.

Eastern Pennsylvania District Family-Owned Small Business of the Year Award: Talluto's Authentic Italian Food, Inc., Folcroft, Pa. Joseph A. Talluto, President;  Joseph F. Talluto, Vice President; Angela C. Storti, Assistant to the President; Joanne A. Brown, Administrative Assistant; nominated by James C. Porter Consulting Manager, Widener University Small Business Development Center.

Eastern Pennsylvania District Minority Small Business of the Year: Swain Techs, Horsham, Pa., Manuel Trujillo, President; nominated by David R. White, Vice President, Wells Fargo Bank.

Eastern Pennsylvania District Veteran Small Business Person of the Year: Wesley R. Gray, Executive Managing Member, Alpha Architect, LLC, Broomall, Pa.; nominated by Patrick R. Cleary, Managing Member, Alpha Architect, LLC. 

Eastern Pennsylvania District Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year: JEM Group, LLC, Harrisburg, Pa., Jessica E. Meyers, President; nominated by Melissa McLaughlin, Director of Business Finance, Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC (Capital Region Economic Development Corporation).

Every year since 1963 SBA takes the opportunity to highlight the impact of outstanding entrepreneurs, small business owners, and others from across the nation through National Small Business Week. This year’s National Small Business Week will be held from May 4-8, 2015. This year’s theme will be “SBA: Dream Big, Start Small.”

SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet highlights National Small Business Week with events in Miami, Los Angeles, San Antonio, New York City and culminating in Washington, D.C. where national winners will be recognized and awarded. Additionally, recognition events throughout SBA’s 10 Regions and 68 Districts will be held throughout the months of May and June. As events are finalized more details will be posted on www.sba.gov/smallbusinessweek.

###

To request an interview or photographs, please contact Robert Goza, SBA’s Public Information Officer in the Philadelphia District Office, at 610-382-3084 or robert.goza@sba.gov.