recology wor the mayor's office, the city, the department of environment, that is how we get the job done. i will in on a political note, but again, congratulations to all of you. we're glad to help you celebrate small business week. thank you. [applause] >> sharon miller is here tonight to award some very special awards. she is part of the highly successful coalition of companies. sharon miller. [applause] and she got the red dress memo. >> i am the ceo of renaissance

entrepreneur center. it is a small business development sector. we work with entrepreneurs. every day, is small business week at renaissance. we're privileged to provide training and support services to help people start and grow their own businesses. i am joined by my colleague, paul conley, and by a board member katie johnson, from wells fargo bank. thank you for being here. i am joined -- i am so privileged to give out an award from the san francisco economic development association or seda. we are a coalition of all the organizations in san francisco that provide small business support services to primarily lower and moderate income women and men. this is a very exciting award. this is the first time a micro-

enterprise has been given an award during small business week. i would like to ask the members to raise your hands. we're working the of the -- together to provide a host of services helping people to start and grow their own businesses. tonight, the very first sfeda businurban bazarrre. [applause] we are joined by brandy and brianna, the founders and owners of urban bazaar. it is a wonderful business that speaks to the whole culture of small business in san francisco. they are artists and are

creating beautiful crafts that they sell. more than that, they're bringing fair trade items to san francisco. they're bringing items made by other san francisco artists to the richmond district where the business is located. it does not take a miracle to start a small business. sometimes it feels like it does. it does not really take a miracle. it takes passionate people, great ideas, and a lot of support. urban bazaar has received support from a number of agencies. they've worked with women's initiative, community ventures, a small-business development center, and working solutions. they embraced all san francisco had to offer. mark quinn and elizabeth, the

mayor, san francisco. what they did was really smart. they looked at what was out there and took advantage. they were founded in 2010. they now have three employees in addition to two full-time right here. they were the best boutique in "sf weekly." they are women-owned gift shop. you can buy fabulous things. we are honored we will be giving an award to urban bazaar at the mixer/party, a great event, on friday night. please join us there. [applause] >> thank you. we do not want to take up much time but we want to sincerely

thank all of the organizations and programs in san francisco, the offices at city hall that work with small businesses. we support a number of small businesses. it is the two of us and one employee. we're very tiny ourselves. we work with about 78 area artists and craftspeople along with others in developing countries. we're open because of the women's initiative, working solutions, and the guidance from different organizations around the city. we're helping much tinier entrepreneurs start and grow their small businesses as well. when you support us, you are supporting dozens or hundreds of tinier businesses that have a chance to grow and get back to the community to meet -- committee creatively and through taxes. thank you so much for helping us along the way.

when you do not come from that background, it can be difficult to start a small business. we're only able to do it because of the support we received. [applause] >> our next speaker is our own mark quinn with the sba. [applause] >> not a lot of prep on that, steve. [laughter] sharon and all the organizations mentioned are connected with sba. for us, the richest part of what we do is the micro-enterprise support in san francisco and organizations that do us -- do

it. we're fortunate to have a terrific network of partners to work with. as steve said in the beginning, no other city is doing small business week like we are in san francisco. small business week here is not just about awards. it is also about all small businesses feeling like they are a participant in house small business suite i -- small- business week. we were trying to speak over the crowd last year at flavors. it was about all small businesses and them. that is what it should be about. it is an opportunity for us to recognize special small businesses, a special small business of the year. while i am in san francisco, i cover all of northern california. this is really the small business of the year for northern california. every year, we look for great, you need small businesses.

all small businesses are unique in their own way. the challenge is to find a business that represents the things small business does for the community in ways everyone talks about the only one small business gets the chance to be recognized and honored this year. if i could get rebecca and john up first, so i can make sure you know who we are recognizing here. for sba, we try to recognize the business that is unique in a couple of ways. we look for a business that is financially successful. at the beginning of the 2000's they were doing $10 million a year. they hope to do $60 million a year this year. around a turn-of-the-century, they had a little over 100 employees. now they have 300 employees. it is now a nationwide coast to coast operation with locations

in five places across the country. financially, operations best wide -- operations-wise, and hiring. it is a woman-managed manufacturing business in an industry that is not that big. for us, it represents a unique aspect of the fact that manufacturing in the united states works. for us to recognize it is something we want to make sure everyone realizes they are important to the way the u.s. economy works. in manufacturing firm like this is important. uniquely, we're holding this session at recology. if we had known this was the case, it would look like a setup. fleener recycles or repurchases paper -- re- purposes paper for

the packing materials that movers use to move people around. this is their busy season. for recology, this business is in your line of work. the idea is what they are about. it is a green business that does things that are environmentally sensitive and friendly in ways that not every business does. fleenor has been doing this. they have been doing this for 50 years. they were recycling before it is part of the vocabulary. this represents a lot of those qualities, a special business, a great employer, expanding business when businesses are struggling. they have been succeeding and expanding. the business is environmentally important. they have been in business 50 years this year.

this is the 50th anniversary. the real reason i wanted to recognize them is this is a three-generation family owned and managed business. i think that by itself says this is something really special. the business was started by's started -- the business was started by rebecca's father. it has been managed by john and rebecca's since the mid 1990's. they have been running their business as a family business. is a three-generation business. their children are working for the company as well. this is one of those special businesses that does great for a long time, and between three generations, there still managing and expanding the business. for us, that promotes all the other qualities. that is the reason why fleenor paper is our small business of

the year for 2012. [applause] >> i just want to thank everybody for coming. thank you for nominating us and electing us. my banker is here also. if not for the support we've gotten from the california bank of commerce, we would not be where we are today. i am really happy that my family is here to share this. our children are working with us as partners. we've had a great ride. we have a crazy family. we're having a lot of fun. i hope the same for you. it has been really awesome for us. thank you very much. [applause]

>> i also want to amplify to the lenders and tmc development, barber is the one that the sba loan went through for expansion several times now. this is a country that tmc and lending partners have been a big partner of. another big partner is wells fargo. it is the largest sba lender in the country for several years running. [applause] >> we are really excited to be with all of you tonight to celebrate small business week and especially the winners tonight. we are committed to small businesses. we love small business and big business. thank you for the acknowledgement. in the first six months of the

fiscal year, wells fargo has been the no. 1 sba small lender in california and the country. we are excited about that. i want to tell you about a local after we have going on in san francisco. that is our small business neighborhood renovation program. we work with local organizations. we funded the renovation of three local businesses who applied for assistance at no cost to them. i want to recognize those businesses here tonight. the renovations are complete. the business owners are here. they are from ja and k grocery and others. if you could stand, congratulations. [applause] we had an independent panel. we had a lot of fun.

we judged the makeovers to select a winner for the most dramatic improvement to the renovations of the business. the award for the winning business, they will be featured on of the wells fargo atm's for the next 30 days. this business will be highlighted there. the top 2012 small business renovation award goes to g and k grocery. [applause] congratulations. we have certificates for all of you. congratulations. great renovations. the judges were very impressed. thank you for all that you do. [applause] >> thank you. [applause]

my english is not so good. today i am very happy and very excited. i am really lucky and very happy that i come here to get this award. i am 56 years old. i have never gotten an award. the first time. [applause] i am really excited. thank you.

i am very happy they support me. he is here on stage. [laughter] i am very -- >> nervous. [laughter] >> he is very nervous. he does not know what to say. [laughter] [applause] >> thank you very much. [applause] this is a very happy place to me. very happy. thank you very much. [applause] >> congratulations.

now it is my great pleasure to introduce our next speaker. he is at the forefront of small business in san francisco meeting overall economic development and job creation. earlier this year, he announced $1.5 million will san francisco small business revolving loan fund. it is a phone fu --nd -- it is a fund supported by low interest loans. please join me in welcoming mayor ed lee. [applause] >> thank you very much. let me join in the chorus of congratulations to all of the award winners tonight and thank recology for hosting us, joining the chamber, and small business leaders tonight. as elizabeth and mark pointed out, they knew our san francisco businesses had started

celebrating early. one of the reasons is because san francisco small businesses can smell a party two weeks and dance. -- in a defense -- they can smelly party two weeks in advance. [laughter] they are fun to work with. during our most economically challenging times, it was small businesses that kept coming back. they were so resilience. as i stepped up to take on this responsibility as mayor, it clearly was on my wind -- mind to find some way to register our appreciation. small business by its name, sometimes you are thinking these are people and businesses isolated by themselves. but you are a big topic at city hall these days.

you are big because we are getting more people to understand how it is that our small businesses are 50% of all the employees that are hired in our city. 50 2% of the revenue generated in our city. 52% of the revenue generated in our cities from small businesses. when you look at challenges, when you look at mid-market, then you start feeling investment confidence when small-business is started locating theire, and their willingness to collaborate with the arts organizations and start to bring relief into the very hard core area of our city. it was not just the big companies. they are getting a lot of credit for that. who was there to start the

revival? it was our small businesses. that is why as soon as i stepped forward and got elected, i looked back at who could recognize readily. it has got to be our small business community. regina and steve said we could use help. the revolving loan fund was used up. instantly would put the money in there. we that the board of supervisors to revive it. we have $1 million committed today along with wells fargo $500,000. it is there and will be used fast. in the next budget for the next team of years, we have already got plans for the whole $5 million. as long as it is there, people will use it. we know small businesses are reviving our economy and creating the level of investor confidence we want to see.

not just in mid-market. all neighborhood corridors will get the benefit. that is why we signaled these revolving loans to reach out to the neighborhoods in the city, to invest in the neighborhoods. they are going to help revive. i tell people i am sick and tired of seeing empty storefronts in different parts of the city. we assure you we will work with institutions like wells fargo and others to get the money out as they have done. let me give a shout out again to wells. not only have they loaned small businesses and have been a great supporter in working with the city, but when the vandalism occurred on mission street, a step forward quickly to help small businesses immediately recover. they should be thanked as a city for helping out with that. [applause]

you have all of our small businesses have been so wonderful to us. you have allowed us to be more creative in the city. not only will we push investment in neighborhoods and the revolving loan fund, we're also pushing local manufacturing. mark said it best. we are on a big revival of local manufacturing. it begins at home. i will tell you this. i have a lot of international friends that come from all over the world, a special from china, japan, the philippines, and career. if they see things made in san francisco by small businesses, they will buy that up. there are international markets for sf-made products.

our state has yet to recognize that. that is why they have not invested in opening up an international office. i keep nudging jerry to pay attention to this. we are already creating international presence with our locally made and designed products. there is a huge outpouring of appreciation from the market to see this. i have great interest in supporting businesses. i will be investing in their success. if they're successful, our city is going to be successful. if they are successful, the lawyers are coming. [laughter] other sports and other entities will come. they will want to partake in the spirit of success that has always been the spirit in our small business sector. it is my pleasure t oadd to the

awards ceremony by announcing my small business week honoree. this year if it goes to sunset. come on up jim. [applause] this is probably a little different than you would expect. sunset shapers is not manufacturing the biggest technology machine. they make surf boards and shape them. now in addition to the success of selling those, they also sell a lot of fashion accessories and jewelry because it is a lifestyle. as soon as i learned how to use my ipad, then i will learn how to use a surf board. i have got my priorities straight. [laughter]

they have evidenced this innovative, creative spirit. whatever you do, there is a market if you do it well. if you make fine handcrafted quality in san francisco, they will sell well. jim has been successful at it. he has brought back the entrepreneurial spirit of creating things in your own neighborhood and being a successful business. on behalf of the city and to all of your creative efforts, please keep on making things in san francisco. congratulations. [applause] >> i want to say thank-you to mayor lee for the honor. it is an honor to be recognized for manufacturing in a city that is known for technology.

also, i want to thank you for creating the environment for letting small-business drive -- thrive. the loans available, the support you have offered me, i could not have done it without it. i want to say thank you again and to everybody, thank you for coming. it is quite an honor. [applause] >> thank you, mr. mayor. i want to thank you because during your inaugural address you talk about small businesses and said jobs, jobs, jobs. i remember that. six months later, we're doing that. thank you for your follow-up on that. [applause] you are creating a buzz in the city. it is great. for the eighth year, our volunteer committee has the goal

of honoring, educating, connecting, and inspiring thousands of small-business owners throughout the city and the impact that they have. we would like to thank our sponsors. sba, sf chamber of commerce, office of small business, council of district merchants, and the golden gate business association. >> every person in this room is building small business. you are helping small businesses through -- to thrive. remember to shop san francisco, shot small business. -- shop small business. please stay and help congratulate the awardees, the sponsors, and each other. we're making san francisco great. thank you again, mr. mayor. [applause]

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