Lt. Governor Becky Skillman will join business leaders from across the state this afternoon to present 18 companies with the Indiana Small Business Development Center Network's Economic Development through Growth and Entrepreneurship (EDGE) Awards during a Statehouse ceremony.
Sponsored by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation's Small Business Development Centers, the awards recognize clients of the agency's nine regional offices located throughout the state in two categories - emerging and established. Recipients are chosen by their regional centers.
"Indiana's small business sector is the lifeblood of our economy and we rely on the ideas of hardworking entrepreneurs to spur innovation and create jobs in our state," said Skillman. "We are proud to recognize these 18 companies who continue to solidify Indiana's reputation as a prime location for business development."
Recipients of the award collectively employ 195 full-time associates in Indiana and in total finished 2011 with nearly $6.1 million in sales.
Nearly half of the U.S. private sector workforce is employed by small businesses according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. The administration report says that small businesses account for the majority of net private-sector job creation in the United States over the last 15 years.
Complete List of Award Recipients
Btown Delivers (Bloomington) - Emerging Category - Food delivery business
CPR Cell Phone Repair (Evansville) - Emerging Category - Cell phone repair center
Echo Karaoke (West Lafayette) - Emerging Category - Karaoke Bar
Fish Face Photo Booths (Indianapolis) - Emerging Category - Manufacturer and retailer of photo booths
Northern Indiana Aquaproducts LLC (Elkhart) - Emerging Category - Fish farming
Respiratory Medical Solutions, Inc (Lawrenceburg) - Emerging Category - Medical equipment retail store
Second Steps, LLC (New Haven) - Emerging Category - Applied Behavior Analysis Services
SWAT - Severe Weather Alert Team (Muncie) - Emerging Category - Storm chasers
Voice to Print Captioning (Crown Point) - Emerging Category - Hearing loss services
Goat Milk Stuff (Charlestown) - Established Category - Goat milk products
HMS Midwest (Chesterton) - Established Category - Medical practice management consulting
Numerix (Columbia City) - Established Category - Machine shop business
Magrane Pet Medical Center (Mishawaka) - Established Category - Veterinary practice
Rhum Academy of Music (Kokomo) - Established Category - Music store and academy
Scout and Zoe's (Anderson) - Established Category - Antler dog chews
Solid Surfaces Of Indiana, LLC (Greenfield) - Established Category - Solid surface fabrication and installation
Team Service, USA (Evansville) - Established Category - Cleaning and Food Service Contracts
Terre Haute Helicopters (West Terre Haute) - Established Category - Crop Dusting