Allentown, Berks businesses honored by SBA

A Lehigh Valley and Berks County small business were among those awarded with the 2023 Small Business Week Award Winners by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Eastern Pennsylvania District Office.  

SBA’s Eastern Pennsylvania Small Business Awards winners are selected from among nominees located across Pennsylvania’s eastern 40 counties. The local recognition is part of the annual presidentially-designated National Small Business Week taking place April 30 – May 6, 2023. 

The Eastern Pennsylvania Small Business Person of the Year for 2023 is Jimmy Olang, president of The Brothers That Just Do Gutters Lehigh Valley, located in Allentown. He was nominated by Marie Shires, vice president of Seedcopa. Seedcopa  helped Olang obtain an SBA loan to purchase the property his business is located in. 

According to Shires, before Olang became the franchisee of The Brothers That Just Do Gutters-Lehigh Valley, he lived in a village in Kenya where he said “people have bare feet and ripped shorts. They cook over firewood and go to the river to fetch water. 

The Eastern Pennsylvania District Family-Owned Small Business of the Year for 2023 is Unique Snacks in Reading along with vice president/COO Justin M. Spannuth and vice president /CFO William P. Spannuth.  

The company was nominated by Martin Brill, Coordinator, Ag Center of Excellence, Penn State University Small Business Development Center.  

“For more than 60 years, we have celebrated National Small Business Week, which recognizes the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. We applaud the achievements of small businesses and the organizations that assist them,” said SBA Eastern Pennsylvania District Director Steven Dixel. “It’s an honor to present these awards. Each business is exceptional and deserving of recognition as they have grown their business, created jobs, demonstrated resiliency, and contributed to the growth of their local communities and the economy.”