Empowering Solutions

Situation:

Professional Management Enterprises, Inc. (PME) CEO Haskell D. Portee founded his Indianapolis-based company in 2006 after retiring from the U.S. Army. PME is a Minority Business Enterprise(MBE) & Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) certified professional services firm employing 350 people on teams offering customizable business solutions to 40+ clients across the United States.  

How SBA resources helped:

Shortly after beginning his entrepreneurial journey, Portee learned about the SBA’s resources while teaching business/entrepreneurship classes as an adjunct professor.  After working with SBA resource partners from SCORE and the Indiana Small Business Development Centers (SBDC), sketching out growth plans and strategy, Portee applied for the 8(a) Business Development Program, SBA’s premier nine year business development  program designed to provide underserved and socially and economically disadvantaged business owners with the training, tools, networking resources and technical assistance they need to build successful revenue streams in the federal marketplace.  Portee took full advantage 8(a) certification building a vast portfolio of federal clients.  He also developed a diverse network of small business owners serving as a partner and mentor to up and coming entrepreneurs.  Portee then honed his executive leadership skills learning to work on his business instead of just in it through the SBA’s THRIVE-Emerging Leaders program, graduating at the head of his class.  He has also participated in the SBA 7(j) Training program, used SBA-backed loans to expand, and is active with the Indiana Procurement and Technical Assistance Centers (PTAC), Indiana SBDC and SCORE. 

After graduating from the 8(a) program, Portee expanded his service capabilities standing up PME Logistics, Inc. to provide Non-Emergency Medical Transportation to underserved areas of the state.  In 2019 he founded WellTrans which acts as the call center arm of PME Logistics catering to low-income individuals who otherwise may not be able to access healthcare services easily.  

During the pandemic, Portee utilized an SBA Paycheck Protection Program loan to cover payroll keeping employees across his three enterprises on the job providing critical healthcare and transportation services to underserved Veteran and socially disadvantaged communities of color. 

Impact:

In 2022, Portee won the SBA Great Lakes Region and Indiana 8(a) Graduate of the Year and in 2023 was named the SBA Indiana Small Business Person of the Year.

“Words can’t express how proud I am of our employees, clients, and team members,” Portee said.   “As we are still becoming a better us, my team gets to see the power of teamwork and dedication to contract compliance, effective communications and team building, the power of owning our client’s vision and mission to accomplish what they hired us to do. We are grateful for the recognition as we vow to be a blessing in our communities and nation.  As a team we will continue to remain focused and pay it forward in terms of Kingdom Building always. We truly believe that together we all can achieve greater success!”

Portee actively serves on community boards and as a member of multiple civic organizations such as the American Cancer Society, 100 Black Men, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc, Job Ready Veterans, Alternative Inc. Battered Women’s Shelter and more. Because of his commitment to serving others, Portee was recognized by President Joe Biden with the distinguished 2022 President’s Lifetime Achievement Volunteer Service Award.

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