May 2003

US Small Business Administration Recognizes Cortland Businesses

Cortland businesses scored big in an annual competition sponsored by the US Small Business Administration (SBA).

A number of Cortland firms received Small Business Excellence Awards from the US Small Business Administration's Syracuse District as part of national Small Business Week. Recipients were honored at a luncheon on May 9 in Syracuse hosted by the SBA and the New York Business Development Corporation in Syracuse. Cortland award winners included:

• Doug's Fish Fry, nominated by First Niagara Bank
• Graph-Tex, nominated by Alliance Bank
• Midway Metalforming Manufacturing, nominated by the SBA's Small Business Development Center
• Natrium Products, nominated by Support Services Alliance, Inc.

In addition, the Cortland County Business Development Corporation received the 2003 Financial Services Advocate Award. The Cortland County BDC was nominated by the New York Business Development Corporation. The Financial Services Advocate of the Year Award is presented to individuals who assist small businesses in obtaining financing, either directly or through advocacy efforts to increase the availability of financial services. Criteria for the award includes:

• The amount and quality of assistance given to small businesses to obtain financing.
• Advocacy of changes in the financial services industry to assist small companies.
• Encouragement of the flow of investment capital to small ventures.
• Active support for legislative or regulatory action designed to help small firms.
• Other significant contributions through the financial services industry to advance small business interests.

The SBA was created in 1953 as an independent agency of the federal government to assist and protect the interests of small business concerns. Through an extensive network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations, SBA delivers its services throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U. S. Virgin Islands and Guam.

There are three SBA offices in New York State: New York City, Syracuse and Buffalo. The Syracuse District Office is responsible for the delivery of SBA's programs and services to 34 counties in Upstate New York, including Albany, Broome, Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Montgomery, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, Otsego, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schohaire, Schuyler, Steuben, St. Lawrence, Tioga, Tompkins, Warren, and Washington.

The Cortland County BDC has a strong partnership with the SBA to deliver services through monthly "Business Assistance Days" which are held in the BDC office on a regular basis. Among the SBA services that the Cortland County BDC helps coordinate are:

• Free counseling on starting a business through the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE)
• Free technical assistance and consulting services through the Small Business Development Center at SUNY Binghamton
• Financial assistance for new or existing businesses through SBA-guaranteed loans made by banks and non-bank lenders
• Special programs for women, minorities, veterans and businesses involved in international trade

From 2000 to 2002, Cortland businesses were the recipients of more than $10 million in SBA loan guarantees for business expansion projects.