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SBA and SC Coalition for Small Business & Entrepreneurship Announce Winners of 2006 Small Business Awards

SBA and SC Coalition for Small Business & Entrepreneurship Announce Winners of 2006 Small Business Awards

Winners to be Honored at Salute to Small Business April 18

COLUMBIA, S.C., April 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The South Carolina District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration, the S.C. Coalition for Small Business & Entrepreneurship, and the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce will present the 2006 Small Business Awards during a recognition breakfast April 18 at the Salute to Small Business to be held at Columbia Marriott Hotel.

Patricia Owen of FACES DaySpa in Hilton Head Island will be named the state's Small Business Person of the Year.

Amanda Somers, Lance Owens, and Darlene Pope of Sports, Spine & Industrial, Inc. in Greer will be recognized as runners-up for the honor.

"We are here to celebrate the greatness of our small businesses, to thank the advocates who support them, and the lenders who provide financing to them," Elliott Cooper, Small Business Administration South Carolina district director, said.

Sara Beth Baxley of Sassy Mel's will be awarded the South Carolina Collegiate Entrepreneurship Award. Matthew Warren of Pinestraw Plus will be named the runner-up. Other honorees include:

- Ted O. McGee, Jr. of McGee Real Estate in Lexington as both the state
and the regional winner of Family-Owned Business of the Year;

- Jose and Christine Montes of Caromex International, Inc. in Fort Mill
as Small Business Exporter of the Year;

- Alfred C. Jones of the S.C. Employment Security Commission in Columbia
as the S.C. Small Business Advocate of the Year; and

- Norman M. Paige of S.C. SCORE in Columbia as the state's Small Business
Partner of the Year.

Without lending partners to provide financing, many of South Carolina's small businesses would not have adequate opportunity to prosper. For that reason, officials also will recognize the state's top lending institutions for 2006. Bank of America will be honored for the highest number of 7(a) loans approved, Capital One for the second greatest number of loans, and Business Development Corporation of S.C. for the third greatest number of loans and the No. 1 highest dollar volume of 7(a) loans. Business Carolina Inc. and CIT Small Business Lending Corporation finished second and third, respectively, in 7(a) dollar volume loans.

Certified Development Corporation will be recognized for issuing the highest number of 504 loans in the highest dollar amount. Appalachian Development Corporation will be honored as the second highest lender of 504 loans in the second highest amount. Small Business Assistance Corporation will be named the third-highest issuer of 504 loans, and Catawba Regional Development Corporation will be recognized as lending the third highest dollar amount of 504 loans. The South Financial Group, aka Carolina First, will be honored as the number one third-party lender of 504 loans.

The Salute to Small Business will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and is open to the public. Small businesses will exhibit their products and explain how South Carolina's economic development organizations have helped them expand their product lines and revenues. The event brings legislators in contact with their small business constituents and provides them a chance to speak one-on-one. In addition, small businesses will have the opportunity to meet with large corporations and government agencies that are potential customers, including Palmetto Health, Washington Savannah River Company, Duke Cogema Stone & Webster, Bose, and Robert Bosch Company. Companies can register in one of three ways: by logging on to www.scmep.org or www.scchamber.net or by calling event planner Donna Croom at (803) 749-9011.

Source: South Carolina Coalition for Small Business & Entrepreneurship

CONTACT: Dana Todd of SC Coalition for Small Business & Entrepreneurship, +1-803-463-5278, or dtodd@scmep.org; or Susan Chavis of SBA,
+1-803-765-5373, or susan.chavis@sba.gov

Web site: http://www.scmep.org/
http://www.scchamber.net/

NOTE TO EDITORS: Award winners' bios available.