Area small businesses honored with SBA, SBDC awards

ONONDAGA, N.Y. — The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the North Central Small Business Development Center (SBDC) on May 5 recognized five area small businesses and one bank to begin festivities associated with National Small Business Week. The SBA’s Syracuse district office held the awards ceremony in the Gordon Student Center at Onondaga Community College (OCC) in the town of Onondaga. Daniel Rickman, director of the SBA’s Syracuse-Upstate New York district, said the U.S. Small Business Administration “shines a spotlight” on the nation’s 34 million small businesses during National Small Business Week. “Every year, we solicit nominations from across our 34 counties — and districts across the country do the same — for awards in a variety of categories,” Rickman said. “Our winners today exemplify the entrepreneurial spirit we need for our region’s economic growth and resilience.” The SBA’s Syracuse-Upstate New York district recognized Shawni Davis, owner of Luminary Electrical of Syracuse, as the district’s Small Business Person of the Year for her impact and economic contributions in the region. “This award is not about me. It’s about we. It’s about a team of people that shows up every day to lay the foundation for a brighter and more sustainable future,” Davis told the gathering at OCC. “To the Luminary Electrical staff … they’re the backbone of this company. Their dedication, their hustle, their belief in our mission, vision, and values make this recognition possible.” Robert Griffin, regional director of the North Central SBDC, announced Davis as the award recipient and noted that she is the first African-American woman licensed as a master electrician in New York State. In his remarks, Griffin said that Davis sought the help of the Onondaga SBDC (now the North Central SBDC) and eventually “transformed her fledgling enterprise” into a thriving business projected to exceed $5 million in revenue by the end of 2025. Luminary Electrical, which started as a one-person operation, now employs 15 people and plans to hire 10 more to meet increasing demand, securing “high profile” contracts such as the $2 billion Buffalo Bills stadium project.

Besides Davis, the SBA honored Dr. Kate Robinson, owner of Lyndon Pediatrics in Fayetteville as the Woman-Owned Business of the Year. It also honored Matthew Pierson, owner of Simple Roast Coffee Company of Auburn, as the Rural Owned Business of the Year. The SBA also recognized Mark and Alex Williams, part owners of Savurn Memorials in Norwich, as the Veteran Owned Small Business of the Year. In addition, the North Central SBDC honored Syracuse Boat Tours and its owner, Annette Peters, as the Onondaga County Small Business of the Year. The North Central SBDC also recognized Norwich–based NBT Bank (NASDAQ: NBTB) as its Lender Partner of the Year. The North Central SBDC is hosted by both OCC and Jefferson Community College in Watertown. The local center rebranded to North Central SBDC back in December, because it’s a name that “encompasses the region it covers,” it said.

SBDC award presentations

In addition to the Onondaga County recipient, the North Central SBDC presented “Small Business of the Year” awards to one business in each of the eight counties the center serves. The presentations included a May 5 afternoon ceremony in Madison County at Farmstead 1868 in Cazenovia. On May 6, North Central SBDC made presentations at 1812 Shoppe in Marathon in Cortland County; at a business called At Long Last in Auburn; and at Elements on Van Cleef in Seneca Falls. On May 7, the center presented awards at The Cottage Inn in Copenhagen in Lewis County; at Peak Performance Training in Chaumont in Jefferson County; and at the Oswego Sub Shop in Oswego, per its announcement.