Veteran, entrepreneur named Small Business Person of the Year
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The Indiana office of the U.S. Small Business Administration has named Indianapolis entrepreneur Danny Portee its Small Business Person of the Year. Portee is president and CEO of Indy-based Professional Management Enterprises Inc., a professional services and personnel staffing firm.
Portee also started WellTrans, a transportation provider for Medicaid patients who need assistance getting to medical appointments.
“Danny is a shining example of someone who took SBA resources and capitalized on them to grow a small business empire delivering a huge impact on the federal contracting dollars coming into our state but also impacting the greater good of the world we live in by providing desperately needed appointment and transportation assistance to Veteran and underserved communities increasing their access to healthcare in the VA and Medicare/Medicaid systems,” SBA Indiana District Director Stacey Poynter
Portee founded PME in 2006 after retiring from the U.S. Army. PME is a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) & Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business(SDVOSB) certified professional services firm.
Portee is actively involved in many civic organizations in Indiana. The Indiana SBA says Portee was recognized by The White House by presenting him with the distinguished 2022 President’s Lifetime Achievement Volunteer Service Award.
“Words can’t express how proud I’m for our employees, clients, and team members,” Portee said. “As we are still becoming a better us, my team gets to see the power of teamwork and dedication to contract compliance, effective communications and team building, the power of owning our client’s vision and mission to accomplish what they hired us to do,” said Portee.
Portee is also in the running to win the national Small Business of the Year award.
SBA Indiana also recognized other institutions:
- SBA Great Lakes Region & Indiana 8(a) Graduate of the Year: Jesse Camacho, President/CEO of Camacho Equipment & Janitorial Supply Inc. in Greenfield.
- SBA Indiana Exporter of the Year: Carol Podolak & Joy Thompkins, owners of BNutty Peanut Butter in Portage.
- SBA Indiana Small Business Development Center Excellence and Innovation Award: Southeast Indiana Small Business Development Center in New Albany.
- SBA Great Lakes Region & Indiana Women’s Business Center of Excellence Award: WEOC WBC at the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center in Fort Wayne.