SBA Names Winners of 2010 Michigan Small Business Person Of Year

DETROIT – The U.S. Small Business Administration has announced the winner of its 2010 Michigan Small Business Person of the Year and its other awards. They will be presented on April 29 during the sixth annual Michigan Celebrates Small Business awards event at The Lansing Center in Lansing. Gov. Jennifer Granholm will be the keynote speaker to recognize the critical importance of small business to the future of Michigan’s economy.

“Michigan’s entrepreneurs and small businesses are becoming increasingly important contributors to our economy,” said Richard Temkin, SBA Michigan District Director. “I am very proud that one of our Michigan award winners has won SBA’s Midwest regional award.”

Charles Reid, Michigan’s Small Business Person of the Year, is in contention for the national award, which will be announced during National Small Business Week, May 22-25. The award winners for Michigan are:

Michigan Small Business Person of the Year

Charles Reid, President,

Charter House Innovations, Holland

Michigan and Midwest Region Young Entrepreneur of the Year

Stewart W. Beal, President

Beal, Inc., Ann Arbor,

Michigan Jeffrey Butland Family-Owned Business of the Year

Michael DeWitt, President,

Peter James DeWitt, Vice President,

Timothy DeWitt, Secretary and Treasurer,

Peter Jason DeWitt, Plant Manager,

DeWitt Barrels, Inc., Marne

Michigan Financial Services Champion

Derek Edwards, Vice President,

Huntington National Bank, Mt. Clemens

Michigan Minority Small Business Champion

William R. Ross, President,

Booker T. Washington Business Association, Detroit

Women in Business Champions

Carrie Hensel, Co-Founder and Co-President,

Debra Power, Co-Founder and Co-President,

Women’s Exchange of Washtenaw, Ann Arbor

Michigan Veteran Small Business Champion

Daniel P. Whisnant, Government Sales Specialist,

Stryker Medical, Portage

Michigan Small Business Counselor

James D. Beauchamp, Senior Business Consultant,

Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center, Escanaba

Small Business Journalist of the Year

Lucy Ann Lance, Co-Owner,

Lance & Erskine Communications, LLC, Ann Arbor

For more information and to register to attend this event, which drew 800 people last year, click on MichiganCelebrates.Biz

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