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SMALL BUSINESSES
ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE U.S. ECONOMY, GENERATING ABOUT HALF
OF THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT AND CREATING THE MAJORITY OF NEW JOBS.
Small Business Week of Eastern Missouri Inc., hosted a week-long
series of events honoring small business owners and the organizations
that support entrepreneurship. Small Business Week was May 3-8 and
activities included networking events, seminars and award ceremonies.
The RCGA has sponsored Small Business Week since 1985.
Each year the President of the United States designates one week
as Small Business Week, which gives our nation the opportunity to
celebrate the substantial achievements being made by small business
owners. More than half of all Americans work for one or more of
the country’s 25 million small businesses. These small businesses
generate about half of the nation’s gross domestic product and create
the majority of new jobs.
Featured on the next several pages are some of the recipients of
the Small Business Week awards, as well as a brief description of
their achievements—both business and civic endeavors.
2004 ST. LOUIS SMALL BUSINESS WEEK WINNERS
After graduating from Saint Louis University’s aeronautical engineering
program, George Brill began his career as a structural engineer
with the U.S. Navy at McDonnell Douglas (now The Boeing Company).
In 1991, he founded AeroTech Service Group (now Talisen Technologies)
with personal funds, and began by acting as a clearinghouse for
engineering blueprints between McDonnell and its suppliers. This
venture, the first secure Internet portal for McDonnell, went on
to become a system used by over 50,000 people worldwide. Today,
Talisen has evolved into a developer and implementer of technology
systems, with a primary focus on secure communications.
Over the past five years, Talisen’s revenues have increased over
630 percent. The St. Louis-headquartered company has been recognized
regionally for the sixth year in a row as one of the Deloitte Fast
50 Companies, ranking No. 10 for 2003. Talisen is also ranked No.
10 in the Fastest Growing Private Companies list published by the
St. Louis Business Journal (May 16, 2003). The company is
also a certified Small Disadvantaged Business through the SBA.
As CEO, Brill’s primary activities focus on the development of strategic
relationships for the company and its technologies. He manages the
company along with two other primary owners: Paul Schwetz, president,
and Bruce Draper, chief technology officer.
Brill is a member of Saint Louis University’s Parks College Advisory
board, and participated on the Saint Louis University Presidential
Scholarship Advisory Committee. He is also an executive board member
of the St. Louis County Economic Council’s Business Incubator Program,
and a member of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He also served
on Webster University’s e-business advisory board.
SBA FAMILY-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
Patty Baker and Mark, Scott and Joan Waldman are the owners of Laurie’s
Shoes, a family-owned business started 53 years ago by Wally and
Joan Waldman. Patty, Mark, and Scott have been the principal owners
for the past 20 years. Their mission is to provide high quality
products and excellent service to all customers, while maintaining
excellent employer-employee relationships.
Wally and Joan Waldman opened the first store in 1951 in Glendale.
In 1976, Mark Waldman, their eldest son, joined the company. As
a graduate of Washington University, Mark combined both an expertise
for merchandising with a solid business understanding. In the late
1970s, Baker (Joan and Wally Waldman’s daughter), joined the family
business, excelling in personnel, sales, and accessory merchandising.
Later that decade, Scott Waldman, the youngest of the Waldman children,
took Laurie’s to the next level by integrating technology into the
business.
Today, Laurie’s Shoes is an eight-store, 75-employee chain that
prides itself on excellent footwear service. Joan Waldman is still
very much involved, making deliveries to all eight stores, seven
days a week. Mark Waldman is president of the company; Baker and
Scott Waldman are vice presidents.
Virginia Gilbert wrote about small business issues for the St.
Louis Post-Dispatch beginning in May 2003. She has over 25 years
of journalism experience as a reporter, columnist and editor, spanning
such topics as education, business, technology and science news
and features.
Gilbert, who has since left the Post-Dispatch, wrote over 50 articles
and stories about small business issues, entrepreneurs, support
organizations and trends. Her stories about specific businesses
often included other information that is invaluable to entrepreneurs,
such as sources of assistance, government programs, state programs,
etc.
Gilbert was instrumental in lobbying her editor to develop a stronger
focus on small business, and she wrote columns in both the Monday
and Friday Business sections—in addition to other articles on breaking
news. She is a strong supporter of the SBA, its programs and extended
services.
As a founding member of SwifTechs—an onsite computer services firm
whose motto is “computer repair, anywhere”—Scherer plays a major
role in the ongoing development of corporate and strategic plans
for the young company. His role includes hiring, workflow management
and the further refinement of SwifTechs operational structure. Scherer
has collaborated on every aspect of the visionary process and given
Swiftechs a recognizable face and brand identity. Scherer has taken
on the responsibilities of CFO, because of his ability to make frugal
financial decisions while meeting the needs of the company. Scherer
and his business partner, Lenny Minkovich, set forth their mission
for SwifTechs: To serve people by offering swift, friendly and professional
onsite computer help.
Scherer graduated from Webster University with a bachelor’s in management
and received a certificate for completing coursework at the Hogeschool
in Holland, Amsterdam. Prior to SwifTechs, Scherer was a marketing
consultant for a technology marketing and public relations firm.
John Freeborn is the international business manager for the MART
Corporation, manufacturers of high-pressure parts washers and wastewater
processing equipment. The company entered into an aggressive international
development plan under Freeborn’s management, and has experienced
phenomenal growth in export sales in the past three years. Since
March 2000, international growth has grown to represent over one
third of total historical company sales. International sales for
2003 have been more than 25 percent, and will represent 35 percent
in total sales for 2004.
His unique gift for working with local, state and federal agencies
to champion opportunities has not only been of benefit to MART,
but to other small companies and the community, as well. Freeborn
also works with local universities and colleges, and has developed
an international internship program for graduate level students.
Freeborn, a chemical engineer, developed new wastewater processing
technology while working at MART. His EQ-1 technology, which allows
for the simplification of industrial wastewater processing systems,
has won him international recognition. He is now working on numerous
industrial wastewater projects around the world.
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