Each June the Small Business Administration (SBA) presents a variety of awards to entrepreneurs throughout the state. The SBA awards recognize small businesses for employment growth, financial success, company expansion, and community involvement. 

Among the awards is Woman-Owned Business of the Year, which this year went to Amy Mattinat of Auto Craftsmen. But of the other six annual awards that SBA presents, five went to businesses owned and operated by women.

“It is very promising to see so many successful women making significant contributions to the economy,” said Darcy Carter, SBA Vermont District Office director. “They are an inspiration to young women and budding female entrepreneurs that they too can start and grow a profitable company in Vermont.”

According to the National Women’s Business Council, one in four companies in the US is owned or managed by a woman.
“With the exception of Green Mountain Avionics [owned by Bill Hanf, who received the Veteran-Owned Business of the Year award], each company receiving a small business award [this year] is operated by a woman. Woman-owned and -operated businesses are a major contributor to Vermont’s economy. I couldn’t be happier to have the privilege of recognizing them for their achievements,” said Carter.

SBA presented the awards at a ceremony cohosted by Vermont Business Magazine on June 11 at the Shelburne Museum Pizzagalli Center for Art and Education, Shelburne, VT.

Small Business Person of the Year
Monica Greene, Vermont Precision Tools, Swanton

The top prize, Small Business Person of the Year, was awarded to Monica Greene, president and CEO of Vermont Precision Tools (VPT).

“We’re very excited about VPT being the 2015 Vermont Small Business Person of the Year. Here is a powerful woman-owned manufacturing company with more than 300 employees, the majority of which are located in the heart of pastoral Vermont.

The best part is they are still growing. VPT is expanding its operations into the Northeast Kingdom. Monica is a great leader, and her company is a great representation of the state,” said Carter.

Headquartered in Swanton, VT, VPT manufactures detailed specific tools, including rods and gauges, used in the automotive, medical, and aeronautic industries. VPT started in 1968 with a Small Business Administration loan in an old warehouse and a few employees. Today the company occupies a 90,000-square-foot facility and is one of the largest employers in the state.

“VPT is flattered to be recognized as the Vermont Small Business Person of the Year,” said Greene. “VPT prides itself on providing the highest quality products and the collective desire to see the company succeed is evident in every team member at every level.”

Kelly Conklin, Gordon’s Window Décor, Williston

Thirty years ago, Gordon’s Window Décor was a one-man operation. Gordon Clements would sell an order of blinds, then go home to custom-make the order.

Today, Gordon’s Window Décor manufactures blinds, shades, and curtains and sells internationally. Gordon’s employs 26 and occupies a 12,400-square-foot building in Williston, VT.

The future of the company lies in the hands of Gordon’s daughter, Kelly Conklin. She has been part of the company since 2003 and has served in a variety of roles including chief operating officer and retail manager. Conklin was named the president in early 2015.

Conklin’s father said that while she has only been president for a short time, Conklin has been the one running the company and readying it for the future.

The annual award honors a family-owned and -operated business that has been passed from one generation to the next. “Our company is one that is family-owned, deeply committed to Vermont and is focused on manufacturing, which is the type of company Vermont needs,” said Conklin.

Young Entrepreneur of the Year
Allison Wright, OWL Food, Brattleboro

Even as a young girl Allison Wright had an entrepreneurial spirit. Going door to door, she sold bagged lunches for $3.50 to small businesses. At the end of each day, she’d go to the bank to deposit the money she made.

That spirit has carried over into young adulthood. In 2011, Wright started OWL Food in Brattleboro.  Its specialty is making original, wholesome, and local energy bars. “Each ingredient is specifically chosen for the benefits they provide to the body and for their ability to sustain energy levels naturally,” said Wright.” 

Since 2011, Wright has doubled her production and sales each year. Each day Wright and Caitlin Drennen, who Wright hired in 2014, handcraft the bars, label them, and then ship them out. To date, OWL sells to all 50 states and supplies more than 150 stores throughout the Northeast.

Microenterprise of the Year
Dawn Russell, Artisan Web and Print, Brattleboro

Dawn Russell’s Artisan Web and Print designs graphics, develops marketing material, and builds websites. “We work closely with clients to design a visual- and information-rich presence that is unique, memorable, and catered to your objectives,” said Russell.

The name of Russell’s company is a fitting one given her background. She has worked at and managed a series of art galleries and has experience handcrafting fine jewelry. She first began using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to create marketing material for her own work.

People responded positively to her materials and began asking her to make business cards and posters for them. Soon she found herself back in school at Marlboro College studying web development. She feels her background in management, artistry, and computer software served as a strong foundation to start her own business.

Artisan Web and Print has gotten off to a fast start, nearly tripling its sales from 2012 to 2014. Russell has local clients and as far away as Malta. As a microenterprise, Russell has primarily done all of this on her own, but recently she took the next step in growing her business by hiring a new project manager.

Woman-Owned Business of the Year
Amy Mattinat, Auto Craftsmen, Montpelier

The owner of Auto Craftsmen, who grew up in Ohio, says she has motor oil in her blood. “Cars were a big part of my formative years, and my boyfriend and I spent our weekends at the races and driving around his 1970 Chevelle Super Sport, said Amy Mattinat.

For 20 years Mattinat has been a part of Auto Craftsmen on State Street in Montpelier. She started as a bookkeeper in 1995 and became part owner in 2004. By 2008, she was the sole proprietor.

“I love cars and am proud to be part of the automotive industry. I am passionate about educating the public, especially women, about car care so they can make informed decisions about their cars and not get taken advantage of,” said Mattinat.

Mattinat said Auto Craftsmen’s success is due to having exceptional employees, offering top-notch service, and having an effective marketing plan. Her marketing skills are so well honed that, through the Vermont Small Business Development Center, Mattinat teaches a marketing class to other businesses.

Auto Craftsmen has six full-time employees and a part-time customer service representative and shuttle driver and hires additional personnel in the spring and fall. According to Mattinat, Auto Craftsmen will continue to offer excellent service, invest in employee education, and invest in new tools and equipment to stay current with the ever-changing automotive technology.