ST. GEORGE — Shining a spotlight on the approximate 32.5 million small businesses across the nation, this year’s National Small Business Week was meant to honor the tenacity of America’s entrepreneurs amid numerous challenges, including the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jackie Hobson, marketing and outreach specialist with the U.S. Small Business Administration of Utah, said National Small Business Week has placed a greater emphasis this year on the diverse entrepreneurs who have played an integral role in powering the nation’s historic economic comeback and navigating challenges, from various variant waves of COVID-19 to supply chain disruptions and inflation.
Hobson said the SBA is proud of its role in fostering business growth across the country.
“Entrepreneurs are not only making a living for themselves; they are making their neighborhoods vibrant places to live and work, demonstrating their resiliency and flexibility that is contributing to our nation’s economic strength,” she said.
According to a press release issued by Hobson, the Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year was awarded to Haight Bey & Associates, from West Haven, Utah. As this was the first national award in Utah in quite some time, Hobson said they were excited to have a Utah business selected as a winner.
Haight Bey & Associates was nominated by the Air Force Lifecycle Management Centers Expeditionary Weather Program Manager for its excellent work over the past five years, the news release states. The company has consistently received high scores in all evaluation areas within the Contractor Performance Assessment Reports.
“It is hard to believe that in just 7 short years we went from being a start-up company to the SBA Small Business Prime Contractor of the year,” Aliahu Bey, owner of Haight Bey & Associates, said in the news release. “In the beginning, I would have never thought us achieving an award like this was possible – especially in those moments when I was frustrated, scared, and emotionally frayed while writing proposals from the basement of my home. It is an honor to be recognized for this award.”
Haight Bey & Associates will be recognized at the SBA Utah District Office’s National Small Business Week Celebration on Friday. They were also recognized Thursday during the National Small Business Week virtual awards ceremony.
While St. George City Mayor Michele Randall was scheduled to give a proclamation for National Small Business Week at the City Council meeting on Thursday, she was unable to attend due to an appendectomy.
However, Randall, along with the St. George City Council, joined President Joe Biden and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox in proclaiming May 1-7 as National Small Business Week . Randall called upon the Southern Utah community members to join in the national effort to help small businesses do what they do best – grow their business, create jobs and ensure the local community remains as vibrant tomorrow as it is today.
2022 National Small Business Week Utah Small Business Awards
- Utah Small Business of the Year: Red Iguana, Salt Lake City, (Lucy Cardenas and Bill Coker).
- Utah Small Business Exporter of the Year: Eco Green, North Salt Lake, (Andres Salazar).
- Utah Woman-owned Small Business of the Year: Green Light Booking, Pleasant Grove (Sally Johnson).
- Utah Minority-owned Small Business of the Year: Solid Ground, Provo, (Joel Harris and Parker Bennett).
- Utah Veteran-owned Small Business of the Year: Haight Bey and Associates, West Haven, (Aliahu “Alli” Bey).
- Utah Rural Small Business of the Year: Nay’s Meats, Panguitch, (Martin Cole “Tug” Nay).
The SBA, through its offices and resource partners nationwide – like Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers, Veterans Business Outreach Centers, and SCORE chapters – serve the resiliency, ingenuity and creativity of entrepreneurs at every stage of their lifecycle.
There are development centers in both St. George and Cedar City and a Women’s Business Center in Cedar City that also serves the St. George area.
Small businesses create 2 out of every 3 net new jobs in the private sector, Hobson said, with more than half of the American labor force either working for or owning a small business. For more information on Utah, see the Utah Small Business Economic Profile. For more information based on the Congressional District, see the Utah Congressional District Profiles, 2021.
Find more information on the SBA and its history online.
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