Johnson City business owner appears at Small Business Showcase in D.C.

JOHNSON CITY — A Broome County business owner participated in the May 1 Small Business Showcase held in Washington, D.C. Rob Salamida, owner of the Rob Salamida Co. of Johnson City, accepted his invitation to participate from U.S. Representative Marc Molinaro (R–Catskill), according to an April 30 announcement from the Congressman’s office. The event was hosted by the House Committee on Small Business and is a chance for committee members to invite one local business owner from their House district to showcase their products on a national stage and discuss solutions to challenges they face. The event was held during National Small Business Week. Salamida got his start at age 16, cooking Spiedies on a charcoal grill in front of a tavern and later becoming a vendor at the New York State Fair. Rob Salamida Co. is the maker of State Fair Spiedie Sauce. Salamida started his own business in 1976, coming up with the idea of bottling his marinade sauce and seasoning. His company continues to be family owned and now offers sauces in more than 12,000 locations across 40 states. “For many people, the American Dream began with owning your own business and persisting through the obstacles of financial risk,” Salamida said in the Molinaro announcement. “Like many startups, I quit a corporate job to start my business, bottling a homemade marinade recipe on top of a pool table in my parent’s basement. I sold cases out of the trunk of my car and barely got by that first year, but we grew to grocery stores across the nation. American small businesses are the backbone of our nation’s economy with 6 million independent owners employing over 61 million workers. These enterprises are as vital as any large corporation today.” Salamida is a former client of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Binghamton University, Rochelle Layman, regional director of the Binghamton University SBDC, said in the Molinaro announcement. Layman also participated the Small Business Showcase event. “We look forward to the opportunity to advocate for all entrepreneurs and start-ups as we strive to provide small businesses with the highest quality confidential counseling, training and industry research at no cost,” Layman said. “Spiedies are a staple in our community. The nation, and world needs to know about them,” Molinaro said. “I [was] beyond excited to have Rob Salamida in DC for the Small Business Showcase. He understands firsthand the challenges and rewards that come with entrepreneurship. Turning his small stand at the New York State Fair into a renowned business and local phenomenon, Rob [shared] his story with other local business owners and the House Committee on Small Business.”