On December 11, 2009, sixteen Portland Oregon area small businesses graduated from the Small Business Administration 2009 Emerging 200 Program that began 9 months ago. This was an opportunity for businesses to obtain executive level training similar to an MBA to assist them with taking their business to the next level.

The goal of the Emerging 200 program is to identify 200 inner-city businesses across the country who show a high potential for growth. This program provides the selected businesses with a network, resources and motivation required to build a sustainable business of size and scale within a designated inner-city geographic location.

On behalf of the City of Portland’s Bureau of Development Services, Director Paul Scarlett and past Small Business Liaison Tiffani Penson partnered with the SBA on this project helping to identify 3 of the 16 qualifying businesses. BDS is proud to say that Tree In a Box; Holman’s Bar & Grill and O’Neil Electric successfully joined Sports Unlimited; The Joinery; The Gartrell Group LLC; Sign Wizards; Pacific Code & Label; Home Dialysis Plus, Ltd; The Jasmine Pearl Tea Merchants; SeQuential Biofuels, Inc; K & F Coffee; SightWorks, Inc; Rocco’s Pizza & Pasta and Bardy Trophy Company in graduating from the program.

In addition, the SBA presented Tiffani Penson with an award for her work and enthusiasm on the Emerging 200 program. “It was my pleasure working with SBA District Director Harry DeWolf and Communications Director Sylvia Gercke on this program. I truly believe this is a great opportunity for businesses and look forward to helping in my new role at the Office of Management & Finance.”

Portland, Oregon is only the twelfth city chosen for the E200 Program and the only city where all the original starting businesses graduated from the program. Next year SBA plans to expand this opportunity with a focus on the businesses in the Native American Community.

For more information, contact Harry DeWolf at harry.dewolf@sba.gov or Sylvia Gercke at sylvia.gercke@sba.gov.