Small Businesses Honored at ''Michigan Celebrates Small Business''

EAST LANSING, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 20, 2006--Michigan's outstanding small businesses were recognized April 19 as the state's major business organizations and agencies collaborated for the second annual "Michigan Celebrates Small Business" event at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing. The cooperative effort - which named the "Michigan 50 Companies to Watch," as well as Small Business Person of the Year - was hosted by the Edward Lowe Foundation, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center, Small Business Association of Michigan and the U.S. Small Business Administration/Michigan. Event underwriters were the Accident Fund, Clark Hill PLC, Microsoft and National City Corporation.

More than 600 business owners and supporters of small business attended the event, which included an opening address by Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

Awards were presented to Keith Malmstadt, CEO Great Lake Woods, Inc., Holland as Small Business Person of the Year; Dante O. Villarreal, Business Consultant Michigan Small Business and Technology Development Center, Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, as Minority Small Business Champion of the Year; Joan Schroeder, Vice President-Team Leader National City Bank, Milford, as Women in Business Champion of the Year; Sheena Harrison, Small Business Reporter, Crain's Detroit Business, as Small Business Journalist of the Year; Eric Seifert, Senior Vice President, Community Shores Bank, Muskegon, as Financial Services Champion of the Year; Pat Salo, Associate Regional Director Michigan Small Business and Technology Development Center, Walsh College, Troy, as Small Business Counselor of the Year; Lowery Computer Products, Brighton, for Government Contracting Award; Primera Plastics, Zeeland, Main Street USA- Best Small Business; and Mobius Microsystems, Inc., Detroit, for Innovation of the Year.

In addition, the "Michigan 50 Companies to Watch" for 2006 were honored. The select list recognizes and celebrates the contributions, innovation and energy of the wide variety of second-stage companies in the state. The "Michigan 50 Companies to Watch" is sponsored by the Edward Lowe Foundation. The list can be found at http://edwardlowe.org/Michigan50.

Next year's "Michigan Celebrates Small Business" event will be held April 12, 2007, at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing. The event website is www.michigancelebrates.biz