Orangeburg business center wins state, regional awards

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The Orangeburg Area Small Business Development Center has been named both the state and regional SBDC Center of Excellence and Innovation for 2020 by the South Carolina SBDC network.

The five-person team in the Orangeburg center, which provides startup services for small- to medium-sized businesses in a seven-county region, assisted 303 clients in the creation of 33 new businesses in 2019, according to a news release. Clients acquired $1.2 million in startup capital and created or retained 135 jobs.

“The Orangeburg Area SBDC team is honored to have been selected for these awards,” Jim Johnson, director of the South Carolina State University region, said in the release. “The award reflects the significance of the SBDC program in the rural regions of South Carolina, especially in the Orangeburg community. While the award goes to the Orangeburg Area SBDC, the real winners are the successful small business owners that we have been fortunate to assist over the years.”

The center, which held 23 training workshops attended by more than 340 people, was honored in both South Carolina and in the eight-state Southeast region, which also includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina and Tennessee.

“Our goal is to honor and recognize our winners for their hard work and dedication to advancing the small business community,” Gregg White, SBA S.C. District Director, said during an online awards ceremony last week. “Most importantly, we appreciate the jobs and opportunities they continue to create for the South Carolina economy.”