LANSING ? Michigan?s outstanding small businesses will receive statewide recognition on April 28 as the state?s major business organizations and agencies collaborate for the first Michigan Celebrates Small Business awards.
The cooperative effort, which will name the 50 Companies to Watch, as well as Small Business Person of the Year ? is hosted by the Small Business Association of Michigan, the U.S. Small Business Administration/Michigan, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center and the Edward Lowe Foundation.
?It?s a dynamic collaboration by key organizations that have previously bestowed their own awards each year, but are now coming together at one event that celebrates entrepreneurship,? says Rob Fowler, president and CEO of SBAM. ?We believe we?ve created a more meaningful and inclusive statewide program to honor small business. Our event highlights the fact that despite all the high profile doom-and-gloom in the state?s economy, entrepreneurial small business owners are creating success stories that are setting a foundation for future economic growth.?
Although it is the inaugural event, Michigan Celebrates Small Business is already sold out, with more than 400 business owners and supporters of small business expected to attend. It begins at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 28 at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing, with a private reception with Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who will give the opening address, followed by dinner and the awards presentations.
Awards to be presented include:
Small Business Person of the Year
Minority Small Business Champion of the Year
Women in Business Champion of the Year
Small Business Journalist of the Year
Financial Services Champion of the Year
Family-Owned Small Business of the Year
Small Business Counselor of the Year
Government Contract Procurement Award
Best Small Business/Main Street USA Award
Innovation Award
Fifty companies to Watch in Michigan is sponsored by the Edward Lowe Foundation. Event participants include National City, the leading Small Business Administration lender in its seven state footprint and the number one SBA lender in Michigan for four consecutive years; BDO Seidman, LLP, a national professional services firm providing assurance, tax, financial advisory and consulting services to a wide range of publicly traded and privately held companies; Clark Hill Attorneys at Law, a full-service law firm with offices in Detroit, Birmingham and Lansing; the Accident Fund Insurance Company of America, a wholly owned and independent operating subsidiary of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, operational in 43 states; and Microsoft.
Media sponsors are Crain?s Detroit Business, WJR Radio, MiBizWest, Northwest Michigan Business News, the Greater Lansing Business Monthly and Mitechnews.Com.
Although the deadline for the 2005 awards has passed, application materials will soon be available for the 2006 awards.
For more information, click on MichiganCelebrates.Biz Or call (800) 362-5461.
