BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana Economic Development and the U.S. Small Business Administration today announce the winners of the 2009 Small Business Awards. The award winners will be honored on Thursday, May 21, at a private reception from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. at the Governor’s Mansion. The awards highlight Louisiana business champions, entrepreneurs, district winners and the state’s small business person of the year.
“I want to congratulate the award recipients for their success and commend them for their contributions to Louisiana’s economy,” said LED Secretary Stephen Moret. “Small businesses play a significant role in Louisiana’s economy by providing job opportunities, generating economic growth and improving the quality of life in Louisiana.”
The 2009 Small Business Award winners are:
2009 CHAMPION AWARD WINNERS
Small Business Exporter of the Year
Ralston Pittman Cole, EMD Services International, Harvey
SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year
Thomas F. Darden III, Make It Right Foundation, New Orleans
Jeffrey Butland Family-owned Business of the Year
Joseph Anthony LaBella, LaBella Catering Inc., Kenner
Women in Business Champion of the Year
Jean Marie Kass, Kass Bros. Inc., Harvey
Financial Services Champion of the Year
Carmen Faye Sunda, LSBDC Greater New Orleans Region, Metairie
Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year
Cal V. Dion-Breaux, Veterans Administration, Gretna
Home-based Business Champion of the Year
Helen Lynn Lundy, Matthew Edward Lundy; Rewarding Events and Incentives; Destrehan
Minority Small Business Champion of the Year
David W. Anderson, First NBC Bank, New Orleans
Small Business Journalist Champion of the Year
Ernesto Schweikert III, Mayavision Inc. and Crocodile Broadcasting Corp., Metairie
Small Business Development Center Service Excellence and Innovation Center Award
Erica Lynn Fontenot, Mark Galyean, Nanette Grojean, Zachary McNeal, Heidi Melancon, Nathan Thornton; LSBDC at University of Louisiana at Lafayette; Lafayette
2009 DISTRICT WINNERS
Central Region
Eddy Soberon, Renegade Harley Davidson, Alexandria
Southeast Region
Robert A. Baker, Baker Sales Inc., Slidell
Northwest Region
Mark W. Prevot
Prevot Design Services
Shreveport
2009 LED ENTREPRENEUR AWARDS
2009 Small and Emerging Business Development Outstanding Client Award
Randy Doss, A-1 Charter Service Inc., Shreveport
2009 Small and Emerging Business Development Outstanding Client Comeback Award
Barbara Lamont, New Orleans Teleport d/b/a CALLS PLUS, Lafayette
Louisiana PTAC 2009 Contractor of the Year
Michael Brown, Brown Management Group LLC, Gonzales
2009 MEPOL Small Manufacturing Award
Robert Frost, Marineland Commercial System, Bossier City
NFIB 2008 Small Business Champion
Michael A. Mitternight, Factory Service Agency, Metairie
2009 LOUISIANA SMALL BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR
Robert A. Baker, Baker Sales Inc., Slidell
With over 23 years of community activism and over 30 years serving Southeast Louisiana, Robert Baker of Baker Sales Inc. will receive this year’s coveted Small Business Person of the Year Award. The award is given to an individual who meets the following criteria: number of years in business, growth in number of employees, increase in sales and/or unit volume, current and past financial reports, product/service innovation, response to adversity and contributions made to the community.
