The National Small Business Person of the Year was an SBDC client. Jeanna R. Sellmeyer, Chief Executive Officer of the ASSET Group, Inc., of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, received the National Small Business Person of the Year Award during National Small Business Week celebrations in Washington, DC, on May 18-19. Ms. Sellmeyer's business received training and consulting services from the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma SBDC offices.
The second runner-up for the National Small Business Person of the Year award, Vaughn Garner Akimeka Vasconcellos, President and CEO of Akimeka LLC, was also an SBDC client, in Hawaii.
ASBDC congratulates these outstanding clients and the SBDC consultants and networks that assisted them.
ASBDC also congratulates the Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) SBDC in Weatherford, Oklahoma, a center of the Oklahoma SBDC network, for receiving the National Small Business Development Center Service Excellence and Innovation Center Award.
SBDC Clients and Counselors Win National Small Business Week Awards
National Small Business Person of the Year
Jeanna R. Sellmeyer, Chief Executive Officer
ASSETT Group, Inc.
Jeanna Sellmeyer's story is one of beating the odds and coming back on top. She has survived daunting obstacles to lead her company, the ASSET Group, Inc., to one of the region's most successful federal construction and remediation contractors with just under 100 employees and more than $45 million in revenues and backlogs, and project locations from California to Florida. Ms. Sellmeyer's business received training and consulting services from the Oklahoma City SBDC offices.
Oklahoma native Jeanna founded ASSET in 1990 as an environmental remediation firm, to provide asbestos, lead based paint, hazardous materials and mold remediation services to private and commercial clients. The company posted annual revenues under $500,00 for its first 10 years and operated from offices in California. It was during this time that Jeanna was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Fortunately, her surgery was successful and led to a renewed sense of purpose. "I had time to think about what to do next and decided I wanted to expand my business to pursue construction and set my sights on federal contracts." In 1999, the company became 8(a) certified as a minority, woman owned small business.
Second Runner-Up for National Small Business Person of the Year
Vaughn Garner Akimeka Vasconcellos, President & CEO
Akimeka, LLC
Infusing values taken directly from his Hawaiian culture -- cooperation, leadership, family, generosity and harmony -- Vaughn Vasconcellos opened Akimeka LLC, in 1997. Armed with $35,000 and his vision of creating a small business that could provide innovative information technology for the military medical industry, Vaughn sought out the assistance of SBA's Small Business Development Center. There, he received helpful technical advice which helped him develop the business. He also took advantage of SBA's 8(a) program, which provides business development and federal contract support to small disadvantaged businesses.
Today, Akimeka has grown from a Hawaii company with 20 employees in 2001 to a firm with a staff of 161 with offices in Texas, Florida and Washington, D.C. The company has been able to sustain strong profitability and has grown revenues to almost $20 million, with a 54 percent increase in the revenue base in the past five years.
National Small Business Development Center Service Excellence and Innovation Center Award
Lisa Snider, Business Development Specialist; Mary Eichinger, Business Coordinator; and Doug Misak, Business Coordinator; Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) Small Business Development Center
Weatherford, Oklahoma
The Small Business Development Center Service Excellence and Innovation Center Award honors an SBDC Service Center for its excellence in providing value to small businesses and advancing program delivery and management through innovation. The Southwestern Oklahoma State University SBDC provides key resources and services to the state’s small business community, and is part of the network of the Southeastern Oklahoma State University SBDCs. The Southwestern SBDC has consistently exceeded its goal of capital infusion. These funds, received from SBA loans, private bank loans, venture capital, and individual direct investments to help local firms get started, totaled more than $16 million last year alone. In addition, it assisted in the start-up of 37 new businesses. The Center is known state-wide for its reputation of dedication to the success of entrepreneurs, particularly the underserved. It serves 15 rural counties of southwest Oklahoma and specializes in providing counseling and training, financial assistance, and assistance to veterans.
