Award nominations are now being accepted for the 8th Annual Michigan Celebrates Small Business event

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2012 Michigan Celebrates Small Business awards program, a prestigious annual competition that recognizes successful growing businesses and their supporters.  The winners will be honored at the 8th annual Michigan Celebrates Small Business event on April 26, 2012.  Last year, nearly 900 people attended the state’s premier awards program to honor the awardees. 

“Michigan Celebrates Small Business fosters the entrepreneurial spirit in Michigan,” says Carol Lopucki – State Director of the Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center. “The awards program provides an opportunity for business owners and supporters of small businesses to nominate a company that is growing and making an impact in Michigan.”

Award categories for business owners include the Small Business Person of the Year, Family-Owned Business, Young Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurial Success, and Small Business Exporter.  Champion of the year awards include Financial Services, Home-Based Business, Minority Small Business, Veteran Small Business, Woman in Business, Small Business Counselor, and Small Business Journalist.  Also included are awards for Innovation, Main Street USA Best Small Business, and Government Contracting.  Nominations for these awards will be accepted through November 10 at www.michigancelebrates.biz.

The Michigan 50 Companies to Watch will also be honored at the awards dinner.  Sponsored by the Edward Lowe Foundation, the program celebrates the state’s second-stage businesses. It is designed to discover and honor the second-stage companies that make an impact in their markets, in their communities and in the state. Michigan Celebrates is seeking companies known for their marketplace performance, innovation, philanthropy and corporate culture.  Nominations are due November 10 and can come from service providers (such as attorneys, bankers, accountants, public relations representatives, economic development professionals, etc.) or companies may apply directly as well. Nominees will receive an e-mail with instructions to complete an online application by December 2.

Michigan Celebrates Small Business is a partnership of the Small Business Association of Michigan, Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the Edward Lowe Foundation, the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Greater Lansing Business Monthly.

Michigan Celebrates Small Business is made possible with the generous support of PNC Bank, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Michigan Certified Development Corporation, Accident Fund, Comcast Business Class, DTE Energy Foundation and Dynamic Edge, Inc.

Media partners for Michigan Celebrates Small Business are MiBiz, Crain’s Detroit Business, Upper Peninsula Business Today, the Traverse City Business News, the Greater Lansing Business Monthly, MiTechNews.com, Michigan Radio and WCMU Radio.

For more information regarding Michigan Celebrates Small Business contact Jennifer Deamud at the Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center, Managing partner of Michigan Celebrates Small Business – deamudj@gvsu.edu or 616-331-7482.