From a press release:
SBA names Western North Carolina business owner 2015 North Carolina Small Business Person of the Year
Charlotte, N.C. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has named Jeff Slosman, the owner of National Wiper Alliance (NWA) the North Carolina Small Business Person of the Year for 2015. NWA is headquartered in Swannanoa, just outside of Asheville, NC.
NWA is a manufacturer of industrial wipes and cloths, recycling nonwoven materials and converting them into dry wiping products. From wash cloths to heavy duty cleaning cloths, NWA supplies reusable and disposable wipes to various industries in the manufacturing, food service, healthcare, government and other sectors.
“I am very pleased to accept this recognition,” said Slosman. “Not for me as an individual, but on behalf of our dedicated employees, our loyal customers, our faithful suppliers and my very supportive family.”
Jeff was selected as the Small Business Person of the Year due to his company’s demonstrated staying power, growth and innovation. NWA has an impressive history as an established business: Jeff has diversified into new products and services as he recognized gaps in the industry — allowing the business to grow for almost 20 years.
The company started with two employees in 1996, Jeff and his 85-year-old grandfather, and initially operated out of 2,000 sq. ft. of borrowed space. Eventually, Jeff came to recognize that many customers had specialized needs that weren’t being met. Determined to fill that void and yearning to create unique partnerships with vendors and customers, Jeff began providing specialized services including labeling and packaging. NWA also began to offer custom converting so that customers have resources to recycle and create their own types of products. The firm also started to offer its customers development services to assist them in launching new products into market.
Having outgrown its original space, NWA moved into a former blanket manufacturing facility with 500,000 sq. ft. in 2012. The company now employs 120 and sells its products across the U.S. and to about 200 countries worldwide. At this time, NWA has a new product in development: a wipe that is 2,000 times stronger than the leading paper towel and has many other benefits as well.
One of the Small Business Person of the Year winners from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam will be selected as National Small Business Person of the Year during National Small Business Week. National Small Business Week 2015 will be observed May 4-8.
The award will be presented locally at the 2015 Small Business Week Luncheon hosted by The Support Center on Thursday May 7, 2015 at the Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley at 4500 Marriott Drive, Raleigh, NC.
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.