Announcing the 2009 Salute to Small Business award winners:

The following are the 2009 SBA award winners for South Carolina:

  • Small Business Person of the Year: Steven G. Bailey, Chief Executive Officer and Board Chairman, Merus Refreshment Services, Inc. of Greenville

  • Runner-up Small Business Person of the Year: Robert E. Yarborough, Owner, Especially Seniors of Aiken, LLC

  • Jeffrey Butland Family-Owned Business of the Year (for both South Carolina and the Southeast region): Mathis Plumbing and Heating Company, Inc. of Greenwood

  • Minority Small Business Champion: Robert J. Meddick, Deputy of Small Business Programs, Space and Naval Warfare -- Systems Center Atlantic in Hanahan

  • Veteran Small Business Champion (for both South Carolina and Southeast region): Noah T. Leask, Founder and CEO, ISHPI Information Technologies in North Charleston

  • Women in Business Champion: Dyan W. Webb, Owner, Corporate Communications in Greenwood

  • Financial Services Champion: David L. Dougherty, Vice President and Relationship Manager, Countybank in Greenwood

  • Home-Based Business Champion: Anthony P. Santella, Associate Professor, Erskine College

  • Small Business Partner of the Year (a special South Carolina District Director Award): South Carolina Employment Security Commission -- Carolina Works program.

The winners of the 2009 South Carolina Collegiate Entrepreneurship Award program, sponsored by the Clemson University Spiro Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, will also be honored:

  • First Place: Ross Appel, Jason Fowler and Theo Jourdan – Homewaters Clothing
  • First Runner-Up: Jamie Graff – Remedy Films

Without the SBA’s lending partners, many of South Carolina’s small businesses would not have access to much-needed capital. For that reason, the SBA will recognize the state’s top lending institutions for the 2007 fiscal year:

  • Number of SBA 7(a) Loans Approved
    1. Superior Financial Group
    2. Innovative Bank
    3. Bank of America



  • Dollar Amount of SBA 7(a) Loans Approved
    1. CIT Small Business Lending
    2. BCI Lending, Inc.
    3. Wachovia Bank



  • Number of SBA 504 Loans Approved
    1. Certified Development Corporation of South Carolina
    2. Appalachian Development Corporation
    3. Provident Business Financial Services, Inc.


  • Dollar Amount of SBA 504 Loans Approved
    1. Appalachian Development Corporation
    2. Certified Development Corporation of South Carolina
    3. Provident Business Financial Services, Inc.



  • Top SBA 504 Primary Lender
    1. First Citizens Bank