SBA seeks nominees

HAGATNA, Guam—The U.S. Small Business Administration has opened the nominations for the prestigious SBA Small Business Awards for 2018.

The SBA honors continue to be one of the most competitive, comprehensive and visible awards presented to small businesses.

With a record of recognizing excellence in small business for more than 27 years, past SBA winners in Guam have included outstanding small companies such as Cars Plus, Quality Distributors, Kloppenburg Enterprises, Global Food Services, Benson Hardware, National Office Supply, Security Title, PROA Restaurant, Jamaican Grill, ASC Trust Corp., and most recently, Guam AutoSpot.

“SBA’s annual awards continue to generate interest and excitement in Guam and the CNMI because we discover great stories of innovation, creativity and teamwork focused on excellence. It is inspiring to learn about the positive, proactive measures that many small business owners and entrepreneurs are taking to sustain and grow their businesses, particularly with the economic buildup on Guam and the CNMI, “said Kenneth Lujan, SBA branch manager. “This year, we will be recognizing and honoring Guam and CNMI entrepreneurs and champions who have played a major role in the development of their respective economies and the small business communities.”

The 2018 SBA award categories include:

• SBA’s Small Business Person of the Year

• Entrepreneurial Success Award

• Family-Owned Business of the Year

• Small Business Exporter

• Young Entrepreneur of the Year

• Minority Small Business Champion Award

• Women in Business Champion Award

• Veteran Small Business Champion Award

• Financial Services Champion Award

• Home-Based Business Champion Award

• Small Business Journalist of the Year Award

Any individual or organization may submit a nomination for an SBA Small Business Award. The required nomination forms with detailed information for each of the eleven award categories can be downloaded from the web at the Pacific Islands Small Business Development Center Network site, http://www.pacificsbdc.com/services/announcements, in the announcement section. Completed forms should be submitted to the SBA branch office at FHB Bldg., 400 Route 8, Ste. 302 by 4pm on Nov. 30, 2017. For more information, call SBA at 671-472-7419. (PR)