LED and the U.S. Small Business Administration Honor 2017 Louisiana Small Business Award Winners

BATON ROUGE, La. — Today, Louisiana Economic Development and the U.S. Small Business Administration announced the 2017 Louisiana Small Business Award winners at an event honoring small business leaders who exemplify the entrepreneurial spirit of Louisiana. The winners were honored in a private reception at the Governor’s Mansion.

“We are pleased to recognize these enterprising and innovative business leaders, especially at this time in the middle of National Small Business Week,” LED Secretary Don Pierson said. “Small businesses account for more than 97 percent of all employers in Louisiana. They provide jobs to more than 900,000 of our state’s residents – more than half of our private-sector workforce – and they keep our communities vibrant. Small business success is vital to our state’s economy, and the business people we honor today are some of Louisiana’s best.”

LED and the Louisiana Small Business Development Center Network served more than 13,475 small businesses and individuals last year, directly resulting in 1,022 new jobs, 1,587 retained jobs and the launch of 165 new businesses. The Small Business Award program recognizes top performers in a broad range of categories.

The 2017 Louisiana Small Business Award winners are: 

2017 SBA Champion Award winners

8(a) Graduate of the Year:
Tiya Scroggins
Scroggins Consulting
Shreveport

Family-Owned Business of the Year:
Tom Sawyer
Automotive Alignment and Brake Service
Lake Charles

Green and Sustainable Business Award:
Elizabeth Shephard
LifeCity LLC
New Orleans

Veteran Small Business Champion:
Carla Antoine
Life Towne Center
New Orleans

Women in Business Champion:
Klassi Duncan
Urban League of Louisiana – Women’s Business Resource Center Contractor’s Resource Lab
New Orleans

Region VI Women’s Business Center of Excellence:
Joyce D. James
Southeast Louisiana Women’s Business Center
Baton Rouge

Region Small Business Development Center of Excellence and Innovation Center Award:
William (Bill) Joubert and Sandy A. Summers
Louisiana Small Business Development Center at Southeastern Louisiana University
Hammond

2017 LED Entrepreneur Awards

LED Small and Emerging Business of the Year:
Trudy R. Poret
Tarpan Construction LLC
Cottonport

LED Small Business Innovation Award:
Chris Meaux
Waitr
Lake Charles

LED Most Outstanding Business Growth Award:
Alex W. Reed
Fluence Analytics
New Orleans

LED Resource Partner of the Year:
Louisiana Small Business Development Centers Network

Louisiana PTAC Contractor of the Year:
Suzette Freeman
Janet Berry
Carrie Harper
Advantage Personnel
Baton Rouge

MEPOL Small Manufacturing Award:
Walerij Holack
Gulf South Machine
Ponchatoula

NFIB Small Business Champion:
Mike Coullard
Panola Pepper Corp.
Lake Providence  

USDA Rural Development Lender of the Year:
Jeremy Gilpin
Greater Nevada Credit Union

USDA Rural Development Borrower of the Year:
Rock Bordelon
Central Louisiana Hospital Group, LLC
Benton

Small Business Person of the Year:
Alejandro (Alex) Hernandez
Hernandez Consulting
New Orleans