LED and SBA Honor 2019 Louisiana Small Business Award Winners

Louisiana Economic Development and the U.S. Small Business Administration announced the 2019 Louisiana Small Business Award winners at an event recognizing small business leaders who exemplify the entrepreneurial spirit of Louisiana. The award winners were honored in a private reception at the Governor’s Mansion.

“LED appreciates the opportunity to congratulate and recognize some of our best during National Small Business Week,” LED Secretary Don Pierson said. “Small businesses account for more than 97 percent of all employers in Louisiana, and they employ more than half of our private-sector workforce. Louisiana is fortunate to have so many enterprising and innovative business leaders. Their efforts are vital to the continued vitality of our state’s economy.”

LED and the Louisiana Small Business Development Center Network served 9,357 small businesses and individuals last year, directly resulting in 1,243 new jobs, 3,464 retained jobs and the launch of 141 new businesses representing more than $91 million in capital formation. The Small Business Award program recognizes top performers in a broad range of categories.

The 2019 Louisiana Small Business Award winners are:

2019 SBA Champion Award winners

Minority Business Champion
James J. Moore
Expert Maintenance & Construction Services
Prairieville 

Family-owned Business Champion
Wayne, Kyle and Candice Perrilloux
PrintingSource
Baton Rouge

Women in Business Champion
Keisha Bell-Celestand
A Place for Her Counseling Center
Monroe

Green and Sustainable Award
Matthew and Michelle Rainwater
SaniCan
Rayville

Entrepreneurial Success Award
Angelica Rivera
Colmex Construction
New Orleans

Jody Raskind Lender of the Year
Jeanne S. Bergeron
Community Business Finance
Gretna

Phoenix Award for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery
Earl Randall III
U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development
New Orleans

Small Business Person of the Year
Danny Blanks, Barlow Cook and James R. Washington III
Pontchartrain Partners
New Orleans

2019 Regional Award Winners

Region VI SBDC Excellence and Innovation Center Award
Donna G. Little
LSBDC McNeese State University
Lake Charles

Region VI Women’s Business Center of Excellence Award
Klassi Duncan
Women’s Business Resource Center
Urban League of New Orleans

2019 LED Entrepreneur Awards

LED Small and Emerging Business of the Year
Brandon Blackwell and Jennifer Sherrod
Elysian Seafood
New Orleans

LED Outstanding SEBD Graduate Award
Doug and Nancy Toups
eLearning Academy
Thibodaux

LEDC Bank of the Year
Pedestal Bank
Houma

Louisiana PTAC Contractor of the Year
David Gottfried
Gottfried Contracting
Covington

MEP of Louisiana Small Manufacturing Award
Pat Crawford
DMI Contractors
Baton Rouge

NFIB Small Business Champion
Jim Urdiales
Mestizo Louisiana Mexican Cuisine
Baton Rouge

USDA Rural Development Lender of the Year
Jeremy Gilpin
Greater Nevada Credit Union
Carson City, Nevada

USDA Rural Development Borrower of the Year
Robert and Elizabeth Champagne
C-Dive
Houma

2018 Hudson and Veteran Champions
Office of State Procurement Agencies Recognition
Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser
Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism

Richard Howze
Office of Information Technology

SOURCE: https://www.opportunitylouisiana.com/led-news/news-releases/news/2019/05/09/led-and-sba-honor-2019-louisiana-small-business-award-winners