CLEMSON: 2022 SBA CENTER OF EXCELLENCE & INNOVATION

At the annual SC SBDC awards ceremony, State Director Michele Abraham announced the Clemson Area SBDC as the 2022 Center of Excellence and Innovation. Abraham praised the center for being a valued partner in the local small business community, driving innovative initiatives and generating outstanding measurable results that strengthen the economy.

The Clemson Area SBDC had a pivotal year, with Ben Calhoun stepping in as the new Area Manager when Ben Smith took the reins as Region Director. According to Abraham, Smith's "positive, can-do attitude" led the Clemson Area SBDC to weather the changes and challenges in 2021 and prove its excellence by constantly seeking ways to leverage resources that achieved win-win results. The team supported minority, veteran and women entrepreneurs, helping 129 clients obtain over $15 million in capital and create or retain 693 jobs.

Smith said that winning this award has validated the team's hard work and his conviction that if they "really master the basics of their work, everything else will follow."

SC SBDC ANNUAL CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS:

In June, SC SBDC staff converged on the Embassy Suites hotel in Columbia for the network’s two-day Annual Meeting. More than 50 people attended the all-hands event, the largest in-person gathering of SC SBDC employees since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020.

The highlight of the Network Meeting was the sit-down dinner and awards ceremony. In her post-event email to the network, State Director Michele Abraham thanked attendees for making the event both fun and productive. “We are a great group, an awesome team fully engaged in executing our mission to achieve our vision, and I am proud to be a part of our organization."

2022 MVP Winners

Clemson Region: Ben Smith

USC Region: Brent Hoover

Lead Center: Beth Smith

SC State Region: Brian Wheat

Winthrop Region: Janet Graham