North Dakota Small Business Person of the Year
FunShine Express owner, Beth Ellis Strube, of Dickinson has been selected as the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) 2010 North Dakota Small Business Person of the Year. This annual award recognizes exceptional business owners who demonstrate the entrepreneurial spirit in starting and growing a successful business. Nominated by the Center for Technology & Business Board of Directors, Kari Warberg Block, Chairman, Ellis Strube was selected following a statewide competition.
The company was founded in 1995 during months prior to the birth of her third child. As a licensed child care provider, Ehlis Strube was frustrated with the lack of good pre-school curriculum that would help the children learn and have fun at the same time. She developed her own material and then started out making and selling about 60 "kits" per month. This humble effort has steadily grown over the past 14 years. In 2009 the company sold 6,000 kits per month and employs 30 people. FunShine Express has become a recognized national leader of preschool curriculum due in great part to Ehlis Strube's creativity, business savvy and strategic execution.
FunShine Express now markets internationally over the internet but at the same time Ehlis Strube remains committed to her family, employees and the Dickinson community. Cindy Sandman, a FunShine Express employee, said "Beth tells her employees the number one priority is family and then business. She is flexible and generous and looks to add benefits and keep pace with what other top companies are doing statewide."
The award ceremony is open to the public and will be held in Dickinson in on May 12 2010. For more information call Lexi Sebastian, Executive Director, of the Dickinson Area Chamber of Commerce at 225-5115.
In recognition of the small business community's contribution to the American economy and society, the President of the United States designates one week each year as National Small Business Week. This year it is May 23-29, 2010. Leading up to that week, the U.S. Small Business Administration presents awards honoring the nation's entrepreneurs and small business champions.
Small Business Person of the Year nominations are judged on seven basic criteria: staying power, growth in number of employees, increase in sales and/or unit volume, current and past financial reports, innovativeness of product or service, response to adversity and evidence of contributions to community-oriented projects.
For more information on all of the SBA's programs for small businesses, visit the SBA's North Dakota website at www.sba.gov/nd/.
