DeWITT — The man who leads a DeWitt business is the recipient of the SBA’s regional office’s “Veteran Owned Small Business Person of the Year” award. The Syracuse-Upstate district office of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) made the selection. Daniel Rickman, director of the SBA Syracuse-Upstate New York district office, presented the award on […]
DeWITT — The man who leads a DeWitt business is the recipient of the SBA’s regional office’s “Veteran Owned Small Business Person of the Year” award. The Syracuse-Upstate district office of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) made the selection. Daniel Rickman, director of the SBA Syracuse-Upstate New York district office, presented the award on location to Mike Mowins, CEO and owner of Vetted Tech Inc., on May 3 as part of National Small Business Week. The office selected Mowins for his “rapid growth and commitment to giving back to the veteran community, including creating job opportunities for veterans and employing an all-veteran workforce,” according to an announcement from the SBA district office. Vetted Tech is an additive manufacturing company specializing in metal and polymer components for the aerospace, U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), and medical markets. Other major customers include BAE Systems, Sandia National Labs, and the Raymond Corporation. Vetted Tech is a New York-certified service-disabled veteran owned small business, per the SBA. The agency went on to say that through Mowins’ leadership, Vetted Tech has generated consistent sales growth over the past four years and is on track to produce more than $1 million in income this year. Mowins is a 2022 graduate of SBA’s THRIVE program and a client of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC). THRIVE — which is short for Train. Hope. Rise. Innovate. Venture. Elevate — is an executive-level training series designed to accelerate the growth of high-potential small businesses across the U.S. The SBDC provided guidance with business-plan preparation, helped develop the cash-flow projections and financial documents, and made connections to lenders. Vetted Tech received an SBA 504 loan of $525,000 from the Greater Syracuse Business Development Corporation and an SBA 7A loan of $946,000 from Key Bank (NYSE: KEY), the SBA said. Daniel Rickman, director of the SBA Syracuse-Upstate New York district, commended Mowins for his success and dedication to the community. “Vetted Tech demonstrates how SBA, together with our Resource Partners and lending partners, work together to support entrepreneurs and finance economic growth in our communities,” Rickman said in the announcement. “Mike’s commitment to continued personal and professional growth, as evidenced by his participation in our THRIVE program, while prioritizing giving back to the veteran community, is an example for veteran entrepreneurs across the region.”