DETROIT, March 21, 2011 – The U.S. Small Business Administration has announced the winner of its 2011 Michigan Small Business Person of the Year and its other Small Business awards. They will be presented on April 28, 2011 during the seventh annual Michigan Celebrates Small Business awards event at The Lansing Center in Lansing. Richard Sheridan, CEO and founder of Menlo Innovations, will be the special keynote speaker. For more information and to register to attend this premier event, which drew 800 people last year, go towww.michigancelebrates.biz.
“Michigan’s entrepreneurs and small businesses are becoming increasingly important contributors to our economy,” said Allen Cook, SBA Michigan Acting District Director. “This is the seventh year in a row that we have had Michigan winners that have won SBA’s Midwest regional awards. I am very proud of our 2011 Michigan and Midwest Region award winners.”
Michael J. Uckele, Michigan’s Small Business Person of the Year, is in contention for the national award, which will be announced during SBA’s National Small Business Week events May 18-20 in Washington, D.C. Under the theme, “Empowering Entrepreneurs,” a series of events and educational forums will mark the 58th anniversary of the agency and the 48th annual proclamation of National Small Business Week. The award winners for Michigan are:
Michigan Small Business Person of the Year
Michael J. Uckele, CEO and President
Uckele Health & Nutrition, Blissfield
Michigan and Midwest Region Small Business Exporter of the Year
Darryl J. Barlett, Vice President & General Manager
k-Space Associates, Inc., Dexter
Michigan and Midwest Region Minority Small Business Champion
Cynthia A. Grubbs, Small Business Liaison
Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Novi
Michigan Jeffrey Butland Family-Owned Business of the Year
Amy Engelsman, CEO
Proos Manufacturing, Inc., Grand Rapids
Michigan Financial Services Champion
Jane Sherzer, President
Michigan Certified Development Corporation, East Lansing
Women in Business Champion
Michelle A. Richards, Executive Director
Center for Empowerment & Economic Development, Ann Arbor
Michigan Veteran Small Business Champion
David M. Sherwood, Assistant Director
VetBizCentral Inc., Flint
Small Business Journalist of the Year
Michael F. Carmichael, Online Editor & Contributing Writer
Corp! Magazine, Warren
Michigan Small Business Counselors
Lorne Greenwood, SCORE Counselor
SCORE Chapter 18, Detroit
and
Lola Are’, Center Director
Oakland County Business Center Michigan SBTDC, Waterford
For more information on the award winners, please contact Annette Hall at the SBA Michigan District Office at (313) 226-6075, x225 or email annette.hall@sba.gov. For more information on this event, please go to www.michigancelebrates.biz. Media note: Most photos of winners are available from SBA upon request.
