Kansas City SBA Announces 2017 Small Business Week Award Winners - Architect One and Custom Storefronts, Inc.
Kansas City SBA District personnel serve an 89 county territory in Kansas and Missouri and a small business population of more than 350,000. Both companies scored higher on a set of criteria used to judge multiple 2017 nominees. The SBA has presented yearly small business awards for more than 50 years; it is the first and longest-running awards program for small businesses in the country.
“These companies and the leadership of their owners represent the best of 2017 small businesses, who everyday add economic strength to our communities. The SBA exists to assist them and any others wishing to help with access to capital, counseling and contracts,” said Malcolm Richards, District Director of the Kansas City District SBA Office.
The four owners of Architect One, whose main office is in Topeka, Kansas with another which they launched last year in Manhattan, Kansas, will be awarded the Kansas City District SBA’s 2017 Small Business Persons of the Year Award.
President Scott Gales and his co-owners, Michael Wilson, Cassandra Taylor and Andrew Wiechen were nominated by Karl Klein, the regional director of Washburn University’s Kansas Small Business Development Center (http://washburnsmallbusiness.com/ ,) and have used SBA’s Online Learning Center (https://www.sba.gov/tools/sba-learning-center/search/training/starting-business) for ongoing assistance. They employ 10 people and a part-time intern. All are graduates from Kansas State University with architectural degrees.
SBA Small Business Persons of the Year companies are judged on staying power, employee growth, their ability to overcome adversity, innovativeness of products and services, and contributions to the community.
Jon and Camille Roberts, owners of Custom Storefronts, Inc. of Olathe, Kansas are the winners of the 2017 Kansas City District Small Business Exporter of the Year award. The company designs and fabricates both wood and metal storefront systems for national roll-out programs and individual projects. They export to more than 16 countries. Two basements and a storage shed are among their former small business sites, but 15 years later Custom Storefronts fill two Olathe, Kansas warehouses and support 48 employees. The company was assisted with growth by the Small Business Development Center at Johnson County Community College (http://www.jccc.edu/professional-resources/small-business/ksbdc/)
SBA Exporter of the Year companies are judged on increased sales, profits and/or growth of employment because of exporting, their creative overseas marketing strategies, development of effective solutions to export-related problems and demonstrated encouragement and volunteerism to other small business to export.
The Kansas City District Office will present the awards to these honorees in their communities during National Small Business Week.
-30-
Editor’s Note – Biographies and contact information for the two Small Business Week winning companies follow. Please call the companies directly for quotes regarding their awards: Architect One
906 S. Kansas Avenue, Suite 200
Topeka, KS 66612
785-271-701
CUSTOM STOREFRONTS, INC.
1490 west ironwood street
OLATHE, KS 66061
D 913.890.7233 | O 913.764.5042 x233 | M 913.530.0112
