North dominates Indiana small-business awards
Local businesses among those honored by the SBA
Several local names were among the state winners for small business week announced by the U.S. Small Business Administration's Indiana district.
Northwest Indiana representatives were The Times, Joel Gorelick of Peoples Bank, Timothy Cleland of Indiana Botanic Gardens, and Ross and Patricia Pangere, vice president of RossCo Inc.
"The northern part of the state was where the action was this year," the SBA's Darrel Mowery said. "There was not a winner south of Indianapolis. Now these winners get their chance to shine, as they should, because they do so much for the economy."
Small businesses:
- represent more than 99% of all employers
- employ 52% of the private workers
- employ 61% of the private workers on public assistance
- employ 38% of private workers in high-tech occupations
- provide 80% of the net new jobs
- provide 51% of the private sector output
- represent 96% of all exporters of goods
- receive 35% of federal contract dollars
- are home-based 35% of the time and are franchises 3% of the time
This year, National Small Business Week, which is sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration, will be held from May 21 to 27, 2000. The celebration will honor the estimated 25 million small businesses in America that employ more than half the country's private work force, create two of every three new jobs, and generate a majority of American innovations.
The small-business person of the year is shared by Mark Tamer and Sue Harwood of the South Bend Chocolate Co. Other winners from around the state include: minority small business advocate of the year, Charles Garcia, of G.M. Construction Inc. in Indianapolis; women in business advocate Carol Metzger; CPA of Metzger Mancini & Lackner in South Bend; accountant advocate of the year, Michael Alerding of Alerding & Co. in Indianapolis; and veteran small business advocate, Douglas Leathem, of the Northwest Indiana Small Business Development Center in LaPorte.
Trade associations, chambers of commerce and business organizations are among those making nominations. Sponsors submit a nomination package to the nearest SBA district office for review and selection by each district's Small Business Advisory Council.
Nomination packages are then sent to regional SBA offices and prepared for transmittal to the SBA Office of Advisory Councils for review.
A small-business advocate is an individual who has used his or her professional expertise or personal talents to further the understanding and awareness of small business. The Times won the award in the media advocate area.
"It's always gratifying to be recognized for simply doing our jobs," said Times Business Editor Crista Zivanovic.
"Despite the big industry we have in Northwest Indiana, 80 percent of the employees here work for companies with 50 or fewer workers, so small businesses clearly are a force in our area. We have tried to cover them as well as the growing group of entrepreneurs here, as the serious and important busi: ness and economic stories they are. This is why I think we were nominated and why we won this award," she said.
A special award category recognizes a small business exporter. Although Indiana Botanic Gardens has been around for 90 years, the company has seen gross sales increase by almost $5 million in the past five years, according to Cleland, president. The company has begun exporting to countries in Southeast Asia, Central America, South African and Europe.
Current and future plans include expanding exports to Poland and other Eastern European countries. Indiana Botanic Gardens was also recently named exporter of the year by the Northwest Indiana World Trade Council.
Ross and Patricia Pangere of RossCo Inc., in Portage, received the state entrepreneurial success award.
RossCo, which has been in business for six years, is an industrial and commercial contractor.
"I'm excited about the award, it is quite an honor to be recognized," Ross Pangere said. "I credit our company's success with the work ethnic and expertise our peopIe bring here. We have an incredible talented and hardworkmg team."
ZBIGNIEW BZDAK/THE TIMES
Joel Gorelick, vice president of the Peoples Bank in Munster, is one of several state winners for Small Business Week announced by the Small Business Administration.
Gorelick, vice president and chief lending officer at Peoples' Bank SB in Munster, received the financial services advocate award.
Gorelick believes his work as charter chairman of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Committee made him a candidate.
The committee is made of local business people who consolidate economic development programs in Northwest Indiana.
"Peoples Bank has also had its focus for the past 10 to 15 years on small business," Gorelick said.
"We are pretty responsive to small business, and it doesn't always boil down to the numbers. The mergers of huge banks have also helped our business. Some customers that were loyal to the big banks have found that it is not a two way street."
Presentation of the state awards will occur at the SBA's Winner's Circle Awards Dinner, scheduled for June 8th in Indianapolis.
2000's National Small Business Week is celebrated in Indiana during the
week of June 4 to 10.
By Sharon Porta
Times Correspondent
