SBA Honors Small Business Contributions of Midwest Champion Award Winners

The U.S. Small Business Administration's Midwest Office has awarded Champion Awards to ten small business owners and small business advocates from across the region which includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. The award recognizes their outstanding achievements on behalf of small businesses.

The Midwest regional winners' nomination packages will go forward to compete in a national competition for National Small Business Week. This year, National Small Business Week will take place in Washington, D.C. May 23-29, 2010. The national Champion Award winners will be featured during this celebration.

"These entrepreneurs and small business advocates set an excellent example of hard work and dedication in today's challenging economy," said SBA Regional Administrator Marianne Markowitz. "They are making an incredible difference for small business communities in the Midwest and the entire nation."

The Midwest Champion winners will also be recognized at local ceremonies in their respective districts. This year's winners include the following:

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Financial Services Champion	Â	Â	Â	Jeffrey Butland Family-Owned Small Business of the Year
David Latona, Vice President Milwaukee Economic Development Center Milwaukee, WI	Â	Â	Â	Carl Treankler, Larry Treankler, Terry Hanstedt, Gary Loftquist MCL Industries Pulaski, WI
Home-Based Champion	Â	Â	Â	Minority Small Business Champion
Lisa K. Latshaw, Owner Buckeye Mustard Columbus, OH	Â	Â	Â	Pamela Elaine Mullins, Manager of Supplier Diversity Cincinnati Public Schools Cincinnati, OH
Small Business Exporter of the Year	Â	Â	Â	Young Entrepreneur of the Year
Chris Helle, Vice President Sawmill Hydraulics, Inc. Farmington, IL	Â	Â	Â	Stewart W. Beal, President Beal Inc. Ann Arbor, MI
Veteran Small Business Champion	Â	Â	Â	Women in Business Champion
Jack Scharrett, CEO/President The VICTRI Minneapolis, MN	Â	Â	Â	Angelika Coghlan, President Catwalk Consulting Schaumberg, IL
SBDC Service Excellence and Innovation Award	Â	Â	Â	Women's Business Center Excellence
John Anthony Melvin, SBDC Counselor Ohio SBDC @ Clermont Chamber of Commerce Cincinnati, OH	Â	Â	Â	Wendy K. Baumann, President Wisconsin Woman's Business Initiative Corporation Milwaukee, WI
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Selected from nomination packages submitted by SBA district offices in their communities, the awardees are being recognized on the basis of having met one or more of the following criteria:

• Demonstrated entrepreneurial potential necessary for long-term business success and economic growth.
• A small business must show evidence of success as measured by sales and profits.
• Voluntary efforts beyond business/professional responsibilities to advance small business interests within the small business community, state and/or nation.
• Support of the small business community as a whole, not solely for individual personal advancement.
• Other accomplishments demonstrating the nominee's effective support of small business.

For more information about SBA's programs for small businesses, visit the SBA's extensive Web site at www.sba.gov.

To request additional information on the winners or to schedule an interview, please contact Carol Wilkerson at [phone] or [e-mail].

Release Number: 07-02

Contacts:

U.S. Small Business Administration
Carol Wilkerson, 312-353-7327
[e-mail]

Internet Address: http://www.sba.gov/news