PORTLAND, Ore. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 2019 Oregon Small Business Person of the Year is Marshall Doyle, president of Cal-Cert Company in Clackamas, Oregon.
Founded in 1976, Cal-Cert Company is a veteran-owned business providing calibration and certification of testing equipment used in the construction, aerospace and automotive industries. After 20 years as the owner, Doyle transformed Cal-Cert’s small three-person local field calibration business into a national ISO 17025 accredited service provider with more than 50 employees and three offices across the U.S.
“The spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship in our small business community is part of what makes life in the Pacific Northwest so special,” SBA Portland District Director Martin Golden said. “Marshall Doyle represents the thousands of small business owners who dedicate themselves to building a better life for their families, employees and communities.”
The SBA Small Business Person of the Year award – part of National Small Business Week May 5-11, 2019 – recognizes small business owners who demonstrate staying power and substantiated history as an established business with at least three years of business operation. Winners must also show growth in net worth and business expansion, increase in jobs and sales, innovativeness of products or services, response to adversity and contributions to community-oriented projects.
“The SBA, the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), the host colleges and their partners provide amazing resources and tools to build outstanding business,” Doyle said. “Without the training, networking and funding the SBA supports, many of us would not make it.”
In 2002, the company found itself on the brink of bankruptcy with shrinking sales and mounting debt since its purchase in 1999. Doyle turned to the SBDC at Clackamas Community College to help save his business and dream.
The SBDC advisers helped Doyle design and implement a "turnaround" to save the company. He learned how to develop a sustainable financial model and numerous other operational processes he needed to thrive in the marketplace.
Today, Cal-Cert has market share in 41 states and 13 countries enjoying an 18-fold increase in gross revenue. The company’s success has allowed Doyle to give back to his community by serving as a mentor through the SBDC network at Clackamas Community College as well as being actively involved in local high schools and Portland State University.
"National Small Business Week is a time to recognize the impact of small businesses, which make up 99 percent of all businesses in the Pacific Northwest and create two out of every three net new jobs,” SBA Regional Administrator Jeremy Field said. “Small business owners represent our country’s best. They are innovators, job creators and community leaders. Shining a spotlight on their inspirational stories and journeys is an honor.”
Small Business Person of the Year winners from 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam will converge in Washington, D.C. May 5-6 when one of them will be selected as the National Small Business Person of the Year.
A celebration honoring local SBA winners from Oregon and the SBA Portland District – which serves Oregon and southwest Washington – will be May 2. Other SBA local awards that will be recognized at the celebration include 8(a) Graduate of the Year, Family-Owned Small Business of the Year, Nano Business of the Year, Small Business Champion and the Small Business Lending All-Star awards.
Each year since 1963, the President has issued a proclamation calling for the celebration of National Small Business Week. SBA recognizes outstanding small business owners for their personal successes and contributions to our nation.
For more information about National Small Business Week, visit www.sba.gov/nsbw.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov. The Portland District Office serves Oregon and southwest Washington with an office located in Portland.