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http://www.sba.gov/regions/states/ca/la/PR01-48.html
SMALL BUSINESS WEEK AWARD WINNERS HONORED
On Friday, June 1 the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) honored the Los Angeles District Office winners of their annual Small Business Week Awards competition. The Los Angeles SBA Office covers Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties.
The Awards were presented to the Small Business Person of the Year and Advocates in eleven categories at the SBA's 20th annual Small Business Week Awards luncheon held from 11:30 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. on Friday, June 1 at the Marriott Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. The luncheon is co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. There were over 600 supporters of small business at the event.
The presentations of these prestigious awards highlighted Small Business Week activities. This year Small Business week was May 19 - May 26 and had the theme "Small Business...A History of Success, A Millennium of Opportunity."
"We take great pride in honoring our District winners who exemplify what our free enterprise system is all about," said Alberto G. Alvarado, Los Angles SBA District Director. "They have achieved business success and are active in community service. I commend them for their accomplishments.
The 2001 Los Angeles District winners are Carlos and Edgar Garcia, Small Business Persons of the Year, Pico Rivera; Neeti Dewan Esmail, Accountant Advocate, Woodland Hills; Rolina Brown, Financial Services Advocate, Van Nuys; Susan Eigenbrodt, Home Based Business Advocate, Sherman Oaks; Jesus Chavarria, Small Business Journalist of the Year, Santa Barbara; and Roberto Barragan, Minority Advocate, Van Nuys.
Additional winners include Joseph Smith, Veteran Advocate, Los Angeles; Joline Godfrey, Women in Business Advocate, Santa Barbara; Junji Miyashita, Exporter of the Year, Simi Valley; Lorene Sosa, Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Thousand Oaks; and Betsy Berkhemer-Credaire, Small Business Special Achievement Award, Los Angeles.
It is said that necessity is the mother of invention. In the case of Carlos Garcia and his brother Edgar, necessity was indeed the mother of the creation of Endpak Packaging located in Pico Rivera.
In December 1992 the Garcia brothers were both faced with career changes due to the severe recession that was then ravaging Southern California. Undaunted, they started Endpak Packaging, a specialized global paper bag manufacturer, with three employees and a $150,000 U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loan.
By 1999 their facility had grown from 6,000 to 34,000 square feet. They now have over 40 employees and are generating more than $7 million in annual sales, including exports to Malaysia and Mexico. Hispanic magazine placed them on their 2000 Hispanic Entrepreneur Top 100 list, ranking Endpak as one of the country's 100 fastest growing Hispanic-owned companies.
Business was never better, and they were in need of additional capacity to handle a steady increase in orders. Once again the Garcia brothers turned to the SBA. Thanks to a $927,000 SBA 504 Certified Development Company loan in conjunction with the La Habra Local Development Company, they purchased their own 46,000 square foot building last April to accommodate two additional manufacturing machines that will allow Endpak to diversify their product line and penetrate new markets. They now have the plant capacity to meet the explosive demand for their product
Neeti Dewan CPA, associated with Andersen, was selected as Accountant Advocate for her work as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of the National Association of Business Owners in Los Angeles, a non-profit organization that delivers business development services to thousands of women entrepreneurs across Los Angeles County. She tirelessly volunteers to speak before high school audiences about careers in business and provides pro bono assistance to small businesses that are unable to avail themselves of professional accounting services. Dewan is active in formulating small business legislation as Chairperson of the Legislative Watch Committee for the Chatsworth Chamber of Commerce.
Rolina Brown, Assistant State Director for the California Technology Trade and Commerce Small Development Center Program (SBDC) was acknowledged as Financial Services Advocate for her committed assistance to women and minority-owned businesses. She fully developed and implemented a Financial Rover Program as part of the SBDC's intermediary responsibility in the SBA Pre-Qualification Loan Program. Under her guidance, pre-qualification lending has been extended to all communities. Brown is also an active participant in promoting venture capital opportunities for small business in Los Angeles through the development of partnerships with venture capital and angel investors and technical assistance providers.
Susan Eigenbrodt, founder of Too Fun Sue's Drawing Between the Lines, was recognized for creating a successful home based graphic design business and advocating on behalf of the home based business community. She is a long time officer of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Ventura Chapter, representing them on Public Policy issues at both national and state level NAWBO meetings. Her specialties as a Home Based Business Advocate include determining the eligibility of an independent contractor and deductibility of insurance premiums for home based businesses. Eigenbrodt has successfully made the transition from the corporate world of graphic design to the establishment of her own home based business.
Jesus Chavarria, Editor and Publisher of Hispanic Business Magazine, was selected as Small Business Journalist of the Year for his work as the voice and mentor for Hispanic entrepreneurs across Southern California and the nation. During the last twenty-one years, Chavarria has reported on the progress, problems, and solutions of the Hispanic small business community. The groundbreaking, original research published by his magazine is utilized government agencies, corporations, academics, and non-profit organizations for long-term planning and has led to numerous national awards. Most recently he has focused attention on entrepreneurial opportunities of the future by showcasing Hispanics in the high-tech field. His latest magazine, SuperOnada, speaks to young Hispanics who are starting their careers as entrepreneurs.
Robert O. Barragan is the President of the Valley Economic Development Center (VEDC), one of the largest small business development non-profit organizations in the greater Los Angeles area. With an annual budget of $3 million and fifty employees in four offices, his organization serves over 1,000 businesses annually with financing, training and direct business assistance. He oversees the SBA Microloan program through the VEDC and FAME Renaissance Center and is a nationally recognized expert on microlending. Barragan was cited for his thirteen years of successfully managing non-profit organizations in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Joseph Smith, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, has made outstanding accomplishments to the Southern California Veterans business community over the years. As a member of the California Association of County Veteran Service Officers Legislative Committee he has advocated State legislation promoting veteran owned small businesses through a fixed percentage of State Contracts and Tax credits, and the streamlining of the process of obtaining state licenses and certificates for veteran business startups. He has provided considerable pro-bono assistance to veterans who are starting/managing their own small businesses.
Joline Godfrey is the President and Founder of Independent Means. She was recognized for her work as the Women in Business Advocate in helping young women become successful players in the world of business and entrepreneurship. She has written several books that inspire, guide, motivate, and stimulate a commitment to excellence in the young women leaders of tomorrow's entrepreneurial business world. Godfrey is active in and often a keynote speaker at national and international women business ownership conferences.
Junji Miyashita, Founder and President of the Miyashita Corporation, was honored for creating a rapidly growing export business that is an international supplier of food products to Southeast Asia, most notably Japan. Founded in 1991, the firm has more than doubled its sales over the past two years thanks in large part to support from the SBA in the form of a series of Export Working Capital Loans. Miyashita freely volunteers assistance to other manufacturers and suppliers to help them increase their exports to Japanese markets.
Fire Your Imagination, a paint-it-yourself ceramics store, was founded by Lorene Sosa, the Young Entrepreneur of the Year, with family financing in 1995. Her entire debt was soon retired and the business has been experiencing steady growth with sales doubling over the last three years. With a base of eight employees, Sosa has reached out to the local community, offering a creatively unique blend of ceramic design activity to both individual children and entire families. She is an active member of the Ventura NAWBO chapter and is involved in community service through working with severely disabled young adults through the Conejo Recreation and Park District.
Betsy Berkhemer-Credaire, founder and president of Berkhemer Clayton, Inc., was honored as the Small Business Special Achievement Award winner for her longtime contributions to NAWBO-LA. As the current NAWBO President she represents more than 360,000 women business owners in Los Angeles County by actively developing legislative and regulatory initiatives that effect women and small business owners. A successful entrepreneur, she is the founder and president of Berkhemer Clayton, a retained senior executive search firm whose client list includes Hilton, Nike, Disney, and Toyota.
"This was our 20th annual Small Business Week Award Luncheon," said Charles Woo, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce Chairman. "Its has been a pleasure to work with the SBA since 1982 to make it the premier Small Business Week celebration in Los Angeles."
To receive a brochure describing the criteria for the 2002 Small Business Week Awards competition, call the SBA at (818) 552-3203.
Los Angeles SBA District Office 2001 Small Business Week Award Winners
AWARD WINNERS
Small Business Persons of the Year
Carlos and Edgar Garcia
Endpak Packaging
Pico Rivera, CA
Accountant Advocate
Neeti Dewan Esmail, CPA
Andersen
Los Angeles, CA
Financial Services Advocate
Rolina Brown
State of California
Van Nuys, CA
Home Based Business Advocate
Susan Eigenbrodt, President
Too Fun Sue's Drawing Between the Lines
Sherman Oaks, CA
Small Business Journalist of the Year
Jesus Chavarria, Publisher
Hispanic Business Magazine
Santa Barbara, CA
Minority Advocate
Roberto Barragan, President
Valley Economic Development Center
Van Nuys, CA
Veteran Advocate
Joseph Smith, Director
Los Angeles County Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
Los Angeles, CA
Women in Business Advocate
Joline Godfrey, President
Independent Means
Santa Barbara, CA
Exporter of the Year
Junji Miyashita
Miyashita Corporation
Simi Valley, CA
Young Entrepreneur of the Year
Lorene Sosa, President
Fire Your Imagination
Thousand Oaks, CA
Small Business Special Achievement Award
Betsy Berkhemer-Credaire, President
Berkhemer Clayton, Inc.
Los Angeles, CA
*Last Modified: 6-19-01
U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
LOS ANGELES DISTRICT OFFICE
330 N. BRAND BLVD., SUITE 1200
GLENDALE, CA 91203-2304
PRESS RELEASE
SBA No: 01-48
Contact: John R. Tumpak
For Immediate Release
(818) 552-3203
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