Mark Schmitt, director of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Cochise College, has received the Arizona District Recognition Award from the U.S. Small Business Administration. The award was presented at the AZBIZCON23 Small Business Expo held in May in recognition of Schmitt’s outstanding support for small businesses and his leadership of the SBDC.
The District Recognition Award is presented to Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) in Arizona for their outstanding support in providing innovative resources and tools that assist start-ups, and small businesses achieve success. SBDCs have much to contribute to small businesses’ overall growth and prosperity by assisting with financial and business planning, technology, security, and marketing, making them an essential component of small business success.
In an email, Robert J. Blaney, the district director for the Arizona District Office, congratulated Schmitt on the award and praised his hard work, great ideas, and dedication in leading the Cochise College SBDC.
As a business owner himself, Mark Schmitt knows about small business trials and triumphs. From the academic year 2021 to 2022, Cochise College’s SBDC helped start 78 new businesses, which created 190 new jobs and served 478 clients. The college’s SBDC helped clients increase sales and create new capital.
The Cochise College Small Business Development Center provides free services to help small businesses in Cochise County succeed. It is located at the Downtown Center, 2600 East Wilcox Drive in Sierra Vista and is sponsored by Cochise College and the U.S. Small Business Administration.
For more information about the SBDC, visit www.cochise.edu/sbdc or call (520) 515-5478.
Pictured Left to Right: Schmitt; Elmy Bermejo, SBA Region 9 Regional Administrator and Shivani Dubey, SBA Deputy District Director