Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network’s Export Center Honored with National Award

Fri., Apr 25, 2008
On April 21, the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center (MSBDC) Network’s Massachusetts Export Center became the first recipient of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Small Business Development Center Service Excellence and Innovation Award.

“We are honored to receive this national award. It reflects our success in preparing Massachusetts small businesses for competitive success in the global economy,” observes MSBDC state director Georgianna Parkin, who attended the award ceremony in Washington with Massachusetts Export Center Director Paula Murphy and hundreds of small business advocates from around the nation.

The new award honors Small Business Development centers for their innovation and excellence in assisting entrepreneurs and small business owners to achieve their business goals. Nominations were submitted by a variety of businesses as well as professional and trade organizations. The export center was nominated by Associated Industries of Massachusetts.

“The weak dollar has been a boon to Massachusetts exporters, but Paula and her Export Center team help Massachusetts small business exporters to succeed in any economic season,” continues Parkin, who runs the state MSBDC network from its headquarters in Amherst at the UMass Isenberg School of Management. “The Isenberg School has been headquarters for the MSBDC network for 28 years,” affirms the school’s dean, D. Anthony Butterfield. “That relationship remains central to the Isenberg School’s outreach with the Massachusetts business community.”

The Massachusetts Small Business Development Center (MSBDC) network provides free, confidential services targeting business growth and strategies, financing and loan assistance, and strategic, marketing , and operational analysis. In addition, it provides low-cost educational training programs across the state. There is an MSBDC regional or satellite office within 30 minutes of any potential client in the state through regional and specialty programs and services at over 42 locations. The latest impact study, conducted in 2007 (for in-depth clients advised during calendar year 2005), indicated that MSBDC clients generated and reserved 2,796 jobs, generated $123.1 million in sales and over $8.9 million in tax revenues.

Visit the MSBDC web site.