West Virginia Small Business Development Center

Buckhannon market and catering service specializes in chef-prepared meals made fresh daily with regional foods

Longtime friends Dale Hawkins and Teresa Lipps opened Fish Hawk Acres in 2007, operating their farm-fresh catering business out of the back of an IGA in Rock Cave, Upshur County. 

As their customer base expanded, so did they, and now you can find Fish Hawk Acres at its own storefront in Buckhannon. The catering business has grown to include a restaurant, café and market where customers can enjoy fresh-prepared daily specials, salads and desserts or shop for West Virginia-made food products and handcrafted wares.

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The Star Theatre in Berkeley Springs is an institution. For 40 years, Jeanne Mozier and Jack Soronen opened the theater every weekend to show movies. But the Star, as Mozier calls it, is more than a movie theater. It’s a place for community.

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Morgantown firm specializes in information technology services, consulting, security and more

It was Jeremy Harris’ experience in the military that piqued his interest in information technology.

Harris had originally planned on becoming an engineer before joining the Army. During his stint in Afghanistan, the decorated war veteran specialized in electronic warfare and signals intelligence. He took note of how much the technology was in demand. After he finished his military service, he pursued a career in the information technology (IT) field.

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West Virginia joins the national movement to recognize the hard work of entrepreneurs and economic impact of small businesses.

Small Business Person of the Year winner Michael Mills (right)

The American dream of owning a successful business is becoming a reality for more people today than ever before. More than half of Americans either own or work for small businesses, which create about two out of every three new jobs in the United States each year. In West Virginia, small businesses make up 95 percent of businesses and employ about 300,000 people.

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Mills Group founder wins West Virginia Small Business Person of the Year

The past tells stories.

Michael Mills sees stories in the shape and construction of heritage buildings and their influence on contemporary designs. Michael is the founder of The Mills Group, an architecture, planning, and preservation firm based in Morgantown.

He is also the recipient of the SBA’s West Virginia Small Business Person of the Year award. He will join honorees from the other U.S. states and territories in Washington, D.C., May 5 – 6 during National Small Business Week.

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When Jill Scarbro-McLaury was in the first grade, an observant teacher changed her life. The teacher recognized Jill had a learning disability. Now Jill makes it her business to change the lives of other children with learning disabilities.

In 2007, she founded Bright Futures Learning Services to provide behavioral treatment for children with autism. In 2019, Jill was chosen the SBA’s West Virginia Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year.

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