Nation's Top Small Business Owners to be
Recognized
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Small Business Administration
will mark National Small Business Week in Washington, D.C.,
April 26-28, 2005, with SBA Expo '05 showcasing Small Business
Persons of the Year winners from each state, and featuring
the announcement of the National Small Business of the Year.
National Small Business Week honors some
of the nation's estimated 25 million small business owners
that have helped to drive the nation's economy. Small businesses
employ more than half the country's private work force, create
three of every four new jobs and generate a majority of American
innovations.
SBA Expo '05 will also feature special events
that include a small business expo, a business matchmaking
event, business seminars, a town hall meeting and award ceremonies
honoring America's top entrepreneurs and state and national
small business winners. Other highlights will include notable
speakers and business industry leaders from trade associations,
and local and federal governments.
One of the cornerstone events of SBA Expo
'05 will be the SBA's "Hall of Fame" that will recognize
some of the country's most successful companies that started
with SBA assistance. The "Hall of Fame" was inaugurated
during the SBA's golden anniversary in 2003. More than twenty
U.S. companies hold the honor of being inducted into the SBA's
"Hall of Fame," many of which have become international
leaders in their field. The "Hall of Fame" inductees
for 2004 included Columbia Sportswear, Herr Foods Inc. and
the Quizno's Master LLC.
The SBA has helped more than 20 million
Americans start, grow, and expand their businesses, and has
made more than $211 billion in direct or guaranteed loans
to entrepreneurs. National Small Business Week was first observed
in 1963, 10 years after the formation of the SBA. SBA Expo
'05 will mark the 42nd annual commemoration National Small
Business Week.
Information on SBA Expo '05 can be found
online at www.sba.gov/expo.
