DETROIT – The U.S. Small Business Administration honored the Detroit participants in its Emerging 200 Initiative at a graduation ceremony on November 17. SBA’s e200 program identified 200 inner-city businesses across the nation that demonstrated a high potential for growth.

Selected companies participated in a free, six month course of in-depth business education focused on areas such as organizational management, growth strategies, market development and strategic planning.

Detroit is just one of the 15 e200 participating cities. The others are Albuquerque, Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Des Moines, Jacksonville, Memphis, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Philadelphia and Portland, Oregon.

The 16 businesses from Detroit who completed the program and who will be honored at the graduation ceremony include:

Applied Power and Controls, Inc., Michael Macklin, President/CEO

Atlas Global Bistro, Nicole Barbour, President/CEO

Atlas Wholesale Food Company, Mike Kotsis, Chief Operating Officer

Eclipse Creative, Eric Longs, President/CEO

Federal Pipe & Supply Co., Inc., Leon Saperstein, Chief Financial Officer

Flora Construction, Inc., Ken Phalore, President/CEO

Foster Finish Corporation, Lawrence Foster, President/CEO

FutureNet Group, Inc., Perry Mehta, President/CEO

Meade Distributing Company, Kevin Meade, President/CEO

Miller Protection Services, Inc., Robert J. Miller, President/CEO

MKS, Inc., Creflo R. Mims, President/CEO

Rivers Investments Management Group, Ronald Rivers, President/CEO

SPARKLE Janitorial Service, M. Loretta Watson, President/CEO

Total Pack Management, LLC, Darrell Parish, President/CEO

Vulcanmasters Welding Company, Inc., Roger Pappas, President/CEO

Walker-Miller Energy Services, Carla Walker-Miller, President/CEO

The Detroit e200 effort was a collaborative one. Joining SBA in bringing e200 to Michigan are:

Detroit Economic Growth Corporation

Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce

Mayor’s Office of Targeted Business Development

Michigan Economic Development Corporation

Michigan Minority Business Development Council

Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center

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