Selecting Business North Carolina’s Small Business of the Year winners is always challenging. So many entrepreneurs in the Old North State diligently serve their customers and acknowledge the importance of their employees and supportive communities. We received 49 nominees offering compelling stories of achievement. These four enterprises topped the judges’ list.
- RiverWild Construction, a Johnston County-based brand for a group of companies started by husband-and-wife team Reid and Jaclyn Smith. Their construction company is the largest enterprise, but there’s also real estate, a direct-to-consumer meat company that features their home-grown Wagyu beef, and a foundation.
- North Carolina Trailer Sales, a Davidson County-based business that Johnny Shelton took over from his parents in 2015. The dealership added a second store in Winston-Salem last year.
- Weldon Mills Distillery, a Halifax County-based business started by friends Bruce Tyler and Michael Hinderliter on a lark. It now posts $4 million in annual revenue and has received awards for its spirits.
- Riverbend Malt House, a Buncombe County-based business that has been serving the craft beer industry since 2011. Owners Brian Simpson and Brent Manning created the first craft malt operation in the Eastern U.S. and are helping Asheville-area brewers respond to damage from Hurricane Helene.
This year’s contest judges were Jerry Pedley, the president and employee owner of Mertek Solutions in Sanford. Mertek Solutions, which designs and builds automated test and assembly equipment, was a Business North Carolina Small Business of the Year winner in 2017; Byron Hicks, the state director of the N.C. Small Business and Technology Center; and Business North Carolina Publisher Ben Kinney.
The judges considered creativity, community impact, persistence and other factors in making the selection. The business had to be in operation for at least five years and have fewer than 100 employees. The four selected businesses employ between 16 and 88 employees.
“It is always a privilege to read such impressive stories of the nominated small businesses that have overcome challenges, found ways to innovate and those that build a culture to support their staff and build teams. This year was no different,” says Hicks.
Pedley noted his respect for Riverbend, saying it “turns local agriculture produce into a product.”
This marks the 29th year Business North Carolina has published the Small Business of the Year award. The goal is to honor smaller businesses that form the backbone of the state’s economy. Duke Energy is this year’s sponsor.
Small businesses are often celebrated as the “lifeblood” of the economy for their oversized role in job creation and contributions to overall GDP. In 2022, firms with fewer than 20 employees held the largest share of total private employment in North Carolina, at 18%, followed by firms with 50 to 249 employees at 13%, and those with 20 to 40 workers at 10%, according to the N.C. Department of Commerce.
Click on the images below to read about this year’s Small Businesses of the Year.
