McNulty Veterans Business Center wins National Small Business Week Award from SBA – Troy Record

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has awarded the 2022 National Small Business Week Veterans Business Outreach Center Excellent in Service Award to the McNulty Veteran Business Center (VBOC) based in Watervliet. The announcement comes in advance of National Small Business Week, taking place May 1-7, 2022.

The McNulty VBOC and its leadership were notified of the award by the SBA Office of Veterans Business Development. Since 2014, the McNulty Veteran Business Center (VBC) has helped veterans, service members, and military spouses start and grow their businesses. The center serves as a critical host organization for the U.S. Small Business Administration Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC), covering the Atlantic Region of New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“Our small but dedicated team of three worked tirelessly during the pandemic to provide important information and support for these small business owners when they needed it the most. We are humbled by this award and are grateful for the opportunity we have every day to serve those who served,” said Amy Amoroso, Director VBOC SBA Region II.

McNulty VBC provides a range of services and networking opportunities through entrepreneurial training and counseling to veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses. Utilizing emerging technologies, the center strengthens the veteran business ecosystem by providing services both virtually and in person.

“We are extremely proud of the work that the McNulty Veterans Business Outreach Center and VBOC Director Amy Amoroso do with our active duty, veteran and military family entrepreneurs across New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Their national recognition is for a job extremely well done, especially in the midst of a global pandemic. The SBA salutes them during National Small Business Week as examples of commitment to our returning veterans and their families,” said SBA Regional Administrator Marlene Cintron, who oversees the federal agency’s operations throughout the region’s coverage area.

The prestigious VBOC Excellence in Service Award is being presented in recognition of the McNulty Center’s positive impact on local economic development, job creation, and support of small business growth in the U.S., especially among veteran entrepreneurs, over the past year.

“Veteran entrepreneurs contribute significantly to economic growth and job opportunities in Upstate New York. The McNulty Veteran Business Center helps make this possible with critical support for veterans, military spouses and service members to start and grow their businesses and navigate challenges during the pandemic,” said SBA Upstate New York District Director Bernard J. Paprocki. “Their program is a one-stop-shop for no-cost training, counseling and mentoring for transitioning servicemembers. We congratulate the whole team for their outstanding efforts.”

“We received an overwhelming number of letters of support for the work we’ve done for veteran business owners and their spouses,” said Kathy Caruso, Executive Director of the McNulty Veteran Business Center. “We pivoted and offered virtual versions of trainings, workshops, and information sessions to help them navigate the rapidly changing economy and finance policies during the early days of the pandemic. It’s an honor to receive this recognition.”

Each year, the SBA counsels, trains, and advises more than one million entrepreneurs and small business owners with the help of its resource partners. Together, SBA resource partners continue to improve on the decades of expertise in counseling for each stage of a business’s lifecycle.

“The SBA’s national network of resource partners provides mentoring, training, resources, and localized assistance that has a tremendous impact on small businesses across the country. In 2021, our network-enabled small businesses to access more than billions of dollars in capital and relief aid, start over 26,000 new businesses, and create and retain more than two million jobs,” said Mark Madrid, Associate Administrator for SBA’s Office of Entrepreneurial Development. “We have much work ahead, and I am energized to continue to deepen our collaboration with our resource partners as we advance our shared goal of ensuring 2022 is brighter for all of our entrepreneurs.”