State’s First Salute to Small Business Event to Showcase South Carolina Employers

COLUMBIA, SC - April 22, 2004 - Eight public and private non-profit agencies dedicated to helping small businesses have partnered to host South Carolina’s first showcase of small businesses May 11 called Salute to Small Business. The South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SCMEP), S.C. Small Business Development Centers, S.C. Department of Commerce, S.C. Chamber of Commerce, S.C. Women’s Business Center, S.C. Export Consortium, S.C. Small Business Chamber, and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will host the event during Small Business Week May 10-14 on the State Capitol grounds.

The event will take place in front of the Blatt Building on the Statehouse grounds from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is open to the public. Small businesses will exhibit their products and explain how South Carolina’s economic development organizations have helped them expand their product lines and revenues.

"Salute to Small Business is designed to focus legislative attention on the importance of small businesses to South Carolina’s economy," says John Irion, SCMEP president. "All of the sponsoring organizations provide a definitive return-on-investment for small companies that are the backbone of our state’s economy and who in turn impact the greater economy. We are actively continuing to help small business owners and feel this showcase will provide them with a chance to speak one-on-one with the legislators who represent their interests."

"Small businesses are the true job creator here in South Carolina as well as the nation. The ‘Salute to Small Business’ acknowledges this fact. The event brings legislators in contact with their small business constituents as well as those organizations that help make our state and nation’s economy the envy of the world," says John Lenti, state director, S.C. Small Business Development Center.

About SCMEP
The South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SCMEP), headquartered in Columbia, SC, is a not-for-profit organization that helps manufacturers throughout the state solve business and supply chain process problems. Supported by the state legislature and an affiliate of the National Institute of Standards and Technologies (NIST), SCMEP offers business and technology assessments, engineering expertise and lean manufacturing solutions to South Carolina manufacturers in search of a single solution for supply chain synchronization and internal optimization processes. SCMEP provides this business and technology support to manufacturers through onsite consultations, partnerships with state technical colleges, research universities, and the S.C. Department of Commerce to provide educational programs, online assessment, an e-services portal, and other business tools. Using SCMEP’s services enables manufacturers to see business benefits at a faster rate and enhances economic development in South Carolina.

In 2003, SCMEP reported an increase in sales by its customers, with manufacturers reporting $188.4 million in sales attributable to SCMEP’s assistance. The reported sales impact is almost a $53 million increase in cumulative sales for SCMEP’s customers compared to the previous year’s figure. To learn more about SCMEP, call 803.252.6976 or visit the web site at <http://www.scmep.org>.