2001 State Star
[2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005]FOR RELEASE - December 6, 2001
SCOTT LANGMAN, BILLINGS, NAMED BY SBDC AS 'MONTANA STAR'
Award Recognizes 'Exemplary Performance', Commitment
Helena, MT - December 6, 2001 - Scott Langman of the Big Sky Economic Development Authority Small Business Development Center (SBDC) has been named a 'State Star' by the Association of Small Business Development Centers (ASBDC). The Montana Department of Commerce oversees the statewide SBDC network.
Langman was honored at a meeting of the Montana SBDC network in Billings on December 5.
"A key part of my job and also for me the most rewarding, is helping entrepreneurs and small business people make strategic business decisions," said Langman. "The SBDC network gives them a way to connect to a variety of resources. I help them sort through the options and find the answer which is right for them."
" Small businesses are the backbone of Montana's economy," said Mark Simonich, Director, Montana Department of Commerce. "With over 90% of Montana's businesses having fewer than 20 employees, it is easy to understand and appreciate the vital role the Scott Langmans and the SBDC network play in training and preparing Montanans for success in the high-risk world of business ownership. A strong and expanding small business base signals to the outside world that Montana is good for business."
As SBDC subcenter Director for the Billings region, Langman oversees the largest SBDC subcenter in the state. He provides one-on-one counseling and guides entrepreneurial-hopefuls and small business owners in Wheatland, Sweetgrass, Stillwater, Golden Valley, Carbon, Big Horn, Yellowstone, Musselshell and Petroleum counties. The majority of businesses seeking assistance are existing businesses.
Langman and the Billings SBDC in the last two years have provided assistance to almost 450 businesses to help them obtain financing of over $10 million. These businesses have created or retained over 525 area jobs.
After 30 years of marketing and small business management, Langman joined the SBDC in 1999. For the previous ten years he was a managing partner - STS/Inacom Information Systems, Billings. STS helped market and support 48 livestock auction markets in 17 states. Inacom Information Systems, with storefront locations in Billings and Bozeman, was a computer resale company with average annual sales of approximately $500,000.
