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The Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce will pay tribute to outstanding local entrepreneurs and award the Small Business of the Year for 2003 during a ceremony marking the 40th National Small Business Week. The Chamber has selected Tuesday evening, June 10, as the date of the annual Small Business Awards Banquet in recognition of the contributions small business brings to the nation's economy and to acknowledge the entrepreneurial spirit of business people everywhere. Benvenue Country Club will be the venue for the 6:00 p.m. gala.
"We view this celebration as one of our signature events," Chamber Chairman Kel Landis said. Awards will be presented to Small Business Person of the Year; Minority Small Business Person of the Year, Small Business Woman of the Year, Work First: Nash and Edgecombe Counties, and "Rookie" of the Year. For the second year, the "Entrepreneurial Success award is being presented." Baysden stated, "This special award is being presented to a top entrepreneur that initially launched a small business and that has subsequently developed into a large business."
Another highlight of the evening will be keynote speaker Tom Campbell, founder of the Family Business Institute, a Raleigh-based consulting firm. Others may know him as the creator, executive producer, and moderator of NC SPIN, an unrehearsed thirty-minute program dealing exclusively with issues like education, taxes, politics, race, transportation, and the economy that affect the people of North Carolina. Previously, Campbell served as Assistant State Treasurer for the State of North Carolina.
Chamber Vice Chairman of Business Development Mike Bryant added, "The theme for this year, 'Small Business: Where America Works,' appropriately captures America's confidence in the continued success of small businesses. This week of celebration spotlights the many accomplishments of local businesses and their positive effects on our economy and our community. In the Rocky Mount metropolitan statistical area, there are 5,357 businesses with fewer than 50 employees. Small business creates over two-thirds of all new jobs, generating more than 57 percent of all sales and half of the domestic private sector output. The contributions of small business are significant; they drive the economic engine of our nation."
This year's small business week events are supported by the DeLeon Carter Foundation, the Premier Sponsor, and Southern Bank, Corporate Presenting Sponsor. In addition to The Chamber, other annual sustaining sponsors are Edgecombe and Nash Community Colleges' Small Business Centers; the Rocky Mount-Edgecombe Community Development Corporation; and the Small Business Technology and Development Center.
Additional activities for Small Business Week include a customer service seminar on June 10, "Show Me the Money, Honey," and a tour of McLane Carolina on Wednesday, June 11. A special SBA Lender's Forum is scheduled for Thursday, June 12, to update bankers about SBA requirements as they relate to business financing.
For additional information or to register to attend a Small Business Week activity, contact Shearin Johnson at 973-1212.