Mayor Byron W. Brown today was joined by Franklin J. Sciortino, District Director of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Buffalo office, and Brendan Mehaffy, Executive Director of the City’s Office of Strategic Planning, as he proclaimed May 6-12, 2018 Small Business Week and Economic Development Week in the City of Buffalo.
“Since 2006, my Administration has fostered an economic development strategy that spurs the growth of a diverse economy, creates quality jobs, and encourages equal access to economic prosperity,” Mayor Brown said. “As we mark both Small Business Week and Economic Development Week in the City of Buffalo, I am proud to say our City has seen more than $6.4 billion in economic development since 2012, and our small business and entrepreneur community is growing as a result of Buffalo’s continued economic renaissance.”
Mayor Brown presented a proclamation marking Small Business Week in Buffalo to SBA District Director Sciortino. Mayor Brown also recognized two Buffalo small business owners who will be honored by the SBA this week. Ahmed Saleh, an East African immigrant and owner of Mandela Market, located on East Ferry Street, will open a second market on Broadway later this year, and Jaw Win, a Burmese refugee and owner of Westside Value Redemption Center, on 14th Street, who added a second site on Grant Street, in February.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy that transform communities, create jobs and enables countless people to realize their entrepreneurial dreams. It’s very exciting to watch Buffalo’s refuge and immigrant populations find their dreams in our City,” Mayor Brown said.
“Small businesses don’t just support families and make our communities vibrant places to live, they contribute to our economic prosperity,” Mr. Sciortino said. “For more than 50 years, the SBA’s Small Business Week has recognized outstanding small business owners for their contributions to the nation’s economy and for their personal achievements. Since 1963, every President has declared National Small Business Week to formally recognize the important role of America’s small business community.”
During Small Business Week, more than 55 outstanding small business owners from around Western New York will honored at SBA award events that focus on the achievements of top entrepreneurs.
Mayor Brown also proclaimed May 6 through May 12 Economic Development Week in the City of Buffalo, citing the positive impact of public-private partnerships.
“Across our City we are continuing to see the positive impact of economic development investment. From the $100+ million Northland Beltline Redevelopment Project on Buffalo’s East Side, and the $900 million Solar City/Tesla project at Riverbend, to the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Canalside, and the adaptive reuse of more than 4 million square feet of blight. Buffalo has become a model for urban transformation as we turn our Rust Belt liabilities into assets,” Mayor Brown said.
The Mayor noted the City’s development boom will be on display June 24-26 when the International Economic Development Council holds its Economic Futures conference to Buffalo. The conference will draw more than 300 economic development leaders here for the event, titled Planning for Prosperity: Leveraging Tomorrow’s Brightest Industries.
As the City marks economic development week, the Mayor reminded local retail entrepreneurs of the 4 p.m. Monday, May 14th deadline to apply for next round of the highly-successful Queen City Pop-Up incubator initiative. Winning start-ups will receive free rent in a select downtown retail location from June 15, 2018 - August 31, 2018, as well as business planning support. For more information visit the City of Buffalo website @ www.city-buffalo.com.
Also as part of Economic Development Week, Mayor Brown will be the guest on Invest Buffalo Niagara’s May 9th Bell Ringer podcast: http://investbuffaloniagara.podbean.com/feed/.