Two Central New York Entrepreneurs Recognized For Small Business Success
(Syracuse, NY – May 2015) Every year since 1963, the President of the United States has issued a proclamation announcing National Small Business Week, which recognizes the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year.
As part of National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Syracuse District Office will highlight the impact of two outstanding entrepreneurs, Theresa Slater and Matthew Magrisi, at SBA’s annual awards luncheon on May 11th at The DoubleTree Hotel in East Syracuse.
The SBA Syracuse District Office has selected Theresa Slater, president of Empire Interpreting Service in Syracuse, N.Y., as the winner of the 2015 Small Business Person of the Year Award. Nominated by the WISE Women’s Business Center, Slater was chosen for the award based on her company’s longevity and increase in sales and employees.
In 2003 Theresa Slater started Empire Interpreting Service (EIS) in her home. Since then, EIS has grown to seven full-time staff and a roster of over 310 subcontractors able to interpret onsite in over 100 sign and spoken languages and translate written materials in virtually any language. EIS occupies 4,000-square-feet of office space in downtown Syracuse. The firm also has a presence in Charlotte, New York City, Philadelphia, and Richmond. Well-known customers include the United Nations, Time Warner, HBO and dignitaries such as Vice President Joe Biden, the Dalia Lama and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Among its 700 clients served annually, EIS has contracts with the NYS Department of Education and SUNY campus and medical facilities. Theresa graduated from the SBA Emerging Leaders program in 2011 and used it to develop a strategic growth plan for her company. As a result, EIS has expanded into new areas partnering with a company in Vancouver and has added 60 new interpreters and translators.
The SBA Syracuse District Office also selected Matthew Magrisi, president of ECO-Foam Insulators, Inc. in Oswego as the winner of the 2015 Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Magrisi was nominated by the Oswego Small Business Development Center and chosen for the award based on his company’s increase in sales and profits and his demonstrated long-term potential as a successful business owner.
Oswego native Matthew Magrisi found his calling to help home and business owners conserve energy. Watching construction expert Mike Holmes on his HGTV television show strengthened Matt’s desire to use spray foam insulation as an energy efficient product to make homes better. In 2012 at age 27, Matthew and his wife Stephanie began ECO-Foam Insulators, Inc. after they graduated from the Oswego Small Business Development Center’s small business training class. With continued counseling from SBDC senior business advisor John Halleron, Magrisi accessed funding from a local development agency to purchase equipment and obtained a line of credit for cash flow management. Today ECO-Foam offers more than environmentally-friendly insulation products, including energy efficient windows, doors and construction materials. In its fourth year in business, ECO-Foam employs a factory-trained staff with two full-time and two part-time employees. Before starting ECO-Foam, Magrisi’s previous experience was as an estimator with a construction business and running his own lawn care business after high school.