LED and SBA Honor 2015 Louisiana Small Business Award Winners

BATON ROUGE, La. — Today, Louisiana Economic Development and the U.S. Small Business Administration announced the 2015 Louisiana Small Business Award winners at an event honoring small business leaders who exemplify the entrepreneurial spirit of Louisiana. The winners were honored in a private reception at the Governor’s Mansion.

“Small businesses could not be more important to Louisiana, delivering goods and services that fuel our economy across every industry section and in every geographical region of our state,” LED Secretary Stephen Moret said. “Since January 2008, as Louisiana has outperformed the South and the U.S., its small businesses have made major contributions to the state’s success. They play a crucial role in job creation, innovation and entrepreneurial growth. We congratulate them for their determination and their achievements.”

In 2014, LED and the Louisiana Small Business Development Center Network served more than 11,500 small businesses and individuals, directly resulting in 745 new jobs, 234 retained jobs and the launch of 102 new businesses. The Small Business Award program recognizes top performers in a broad range of categories.

The 2015 Louisiana Small Business Award winners are:

2015 SBA Champion Award winners

Financial Services Champion:
Mark Boucree
Capital One
New Orleans

Family-Owned Business Champion:
Courtney T. Davis
Bart’s Office Furniture
Metairie

Minority Small Business Champion:
Kasie Coleman
Sugarbelle
Baton Rouge

Veteran Small Business Champion:
Troy Downs
The Downs Foundation
Bastrop

Women in Business Champion:
Kristen Preau Moore
Cook Me Somethin’ Mister
New Orleans

Small Business Development Center Service Excellence and Innovation Center Award:
William “Bill” Joubert
Louisiana Small Business Development Center at Southeastern Louisiana University
Hammond

2015 LED Entrepreneur Awards

LED Small and Emerging Business of the Year:
Byron Stephens
Step-Ko Products, LLC
Broussard

LED Collaborative Excellence Award:
Co-Awardees
Parish President Natalie Robottom
St. John the Baptist Parish
Carmen Sunda
Louisiana Small Business Development Center – Greater New Orleans and Bayou Region

LED Small Business Resource Partner Award:
Leonard Sedlin
SCORE Louisiana
Baton Rouge

Louisiana PTAC Contractor of the Year:
Charlotte Smith
D&A Associates Inc.
Mandeville

MEPOL Small Manufacturing Award:
Michelle Schroeder
FMK Investments
Baton Rouge

NFIB Small Business Champion:
Ted Firnberg
School Aids
Baton Rouge

USDA Rural Development Lender of the Year:
Eddie Braud
Citizens Bank & Trust Co.
Covington

USDA Rural Development Borrower of the Year:
Gerald Lacour
Lacour House
New Roads

Small Business Person of the Year:
Todd E. Matherne
Renaissance Publishing
New Orleans