WISCONSINREPORT.COM (08/17/2010) - Two veterans in Lomira, Wisconsin are being recognized with the SCORE Award for having an Outstanding Veteran-owned Business. Kevin McDermott and Steven Smits are owners of Patriot Taxiway Industries. The two will accept the award at the 2nd Annual SCORE Awards and black-tie gala at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C., September 16th.

The SCORE organization, which has the reputation of being "Counselors to America's Small Business", is honoring McDermott and Smits, because of their contributions to their community, exemplary achievements in their field, and overall business success. The award is sponsored by Administaff.

Kevin McDermott and Steven Smits originally intended to operate a small company producing aviation lighting systems. They soon grew their business when only 20 months into operations, the company was awarded a $7.7 million contract from the Air Force to supply lighting at 28 bases.

Attending meetings at Milwaukee SCORE, Kevin and Steven met with counselor Joan Burke, and they were given checklists to understand what it takes to start a small business and to understand what they'd be up against. SCORE also joined the Patriot Taxiway team with counselors who understood the federal contracting process.

"There was an awful lot we didn't know" about starting a business, Kevin says. SCORE, Kevin says, gave them the framework to ask the right questions that would help them succeed regarding banks, liability insurance and marketing to the federal government.

Kevin and Steven each have more than 20 years experience in the Air Force National Guard. They met in 1988 and have been deployed together all over the world including Afghanistan, Bosnia, Iraq, Kosovo and Somalia.

Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 8.5 million aspiring entrepreneurs. Each year, SCORE provides small business mentoring and workshops to more than 375,000 new and growing small businesses.

More than 12,400 business experts volunteer as mentors in 364 chapters serving local communities with entrepreneur education to help grow 1 million small businesses.

McDermott, Smits and other SCORE Awards winners will be recognized during the September 16 event at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. Learn more at www.score.org/score_awards.html.

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