FAIRMONT — The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) celebrated West Virginia Small Business Week Winners on Wednesday at the Robert H. Mollohan Research Center as a local program part of National Small Business Week, April 29-May 5, 2018.

Featured guests U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, U.S. House of Representatives David B. McKinley, P.E. and SBA?Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Michelle Christian each spoke to honor the award winners and the small businesses of West Virginia.

“I was just down in Jane Lew visiting with an entrepreneur who has built a company with one man and two trucks to almost 230 people, and the one thing I asked him was ‘How did you do it?’ because he didn’t get the greatest lift off into his education,” Capito said. “He said, ‘Well you know what, I?was always just a really hard worker.’

“I thought that was probably the basic trait of every single person in this room: really hard workers. Whether you were born or bred to be an entrepreneur, you are extremely hard workers and thanks for what you do for the people of the state of West Virginia.”

Capito also shared that West Virginia is transitioning into a “fuller economy” and most recently in December she was part of a tax relief and reform bill to provide relief and create a predictable and solid tax structure. She said that the new tax bill creates new “opportunity zones” that are targeted for development, dollars and investors.

McKinley also spoke briefly on the tax bill, but focused on a problem he said he is seeing a lot around the state: risk aversion. He said that many people are not willing and not ready to take a risk to make something happen, and he said West Virginia must find ways to stimulate them and to encourage taking on challenges.

“I look out and see all these faces of people and all of you out there have your own story to tell,”?McKinley said. “I thank you because the future of West Virginia is in this room. And in your kids and your grandkids, we got to keep inspiring them to try, to take a risk, live out that American dream.”

Christian, who was appointed by President Donald Trump in February, shared the opportunities available through the SBA and its West Virginia District Office. The SBA?offers many free programs for small businesses from start to finish that can help expand and grow businesses in West Virginia.

“Together we are going to continue to build this economy and bring jobs to America,” Christian said.

The event was co-sponsored by the SBA’s West Virginia District Office, Community Trust Bank, First Microloan of West Virginia, Huntington National Bank, Impakt Media, MVB?Bank, SCORE and the West Virginia Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

Some regional winners included:

  • Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year, Arria Hines with Allegheny Science and Technology Corporation in Bridgeport
  • Small Business Subcontractor of the Year, Jay Reddy with NextGen Federal Systems, LLC in Morgantown.
  • Crista and Roger Johnson with Screech Owl Brewing in Bruceton Mills were district winners for Encore Entrepreneur of the Year.
  • MVB Bank was a lender winner for West Virginia Community Lender of the Year.

Among a lengthy list of winners both regionally and districtly was the West Virginia Small Business Person of the Year Douglas Tate, the president and CEO?of Alpha Technologies Inc. in Hurricane. Tate was the first runner-up for the 2018 National Small Business Person of the Year.

Alpha Technologies Inc. is a business technology focused company providing comprehensive solutions to allow clients to focus on business growth while Alpha manages their technology. The company staffs more than 40 employees, serves 10 states and 17 countries.

After thanking his family and mentors, Tate thanked his “Alpha team” for the opportunity to work with them toward a common goal.

“I’ve been fortunate to be surrounded by hard-working, smart people that have supported my vision and believed in me as a leader and continued to support me even when times are hard,” Tate said. “It’s been said that it takes a village to raise a child, and I?do believe this to be true, but I?also believe the same for a business and for a business to be truly successful it has to have that support system.”

Tate attributed a lot of his success to the SBDC and SBA stating that their “counsel and assistance will always be welcomed and needed.”

“To everybody in the room, you must strive to affect positive change,” Tate said. “As it was stated earlier, 98.9 percent of business in West Virginia are small, which makes up over 50 percent of all employment. I?challenge each of you to seek out a local business to support. Only with your support will we continue to grow.”

To learn more information about SBA, visit their website at www.sba.gov.