STANFORD, Ky.— Small business owner Masato Sugimura—winner of the 2012 Excellence in Entrepreneurship Awards (EIEA) —was recognized as one of the region’s top entrepreneurs at an EIEA Hometown Event in Lincoln County.
Sugimura, president and owner of Lincoln Manufacturing USA, LLC, celebrated his win in the For-Profit Business category with employees, local community leaders, and EIEA sponsoring partners on Oct. 23 at a catered reception at Lincoln Manufacturing plant on Industrial Park Drive.
“It is truly an honor for my team members at Lincoln Manufacturing USA, all of our supporters who have put their faith in our company for so many years, and myself to receive this award,” said Sugimura. “We are very proud of our local community here in the Stanford/Lincoln County area.”
Sugimura was presented the EIEA award last month at a luncheon program and regional awards presentation hosted at The Center for Rural Development in Somerset.
The EIEA program was established in 2001 to recognize small business owners, entrepreneurs, and non-profit organizations in Southern and Eastern Kentucky for their successful business accomplishments and entrepreneurial spirit.
“It’s been a joy to watch Mr. Sugimura and his dedicated staff at Lincoln Manufacturing USA grow and adjust in often challenging economic times over the past 17 years,” said Greg Jones, executive director of Southeast Kentucky Economic Development (SKED) Corporation. “SKED staff has had the privilege of working with Mr. Sugimura on a number of different projects, and we’ve seen firsthand his dedication to the business and community it serves and the hard work he and his staff do daily to keep the business thriving. He is an inspiration to all entrepreneurs in Southeast Kentucky.”
Other 2012 EIEA award recipients include: Jeff Parmelee and Terry Randall, Total Rehab Center, Somerset, Ky., For-Profit Small Business; Scott Maddux and Shane Richmond, Wildcat Harley-Davidson, London, Ky., Start-Up Business; Grace Community Health Center, Gray, Ky., Not-For-Profit Entity; and Hong R. Zhang Durandal, owner, and Peter H. Hackbert, mentor, Energy Hunters LLC, Berea, Ky., Young Entrepreneur.
The EIEA program is sponsored by Eastern Kentucky University’s (EKU) College of Business and Technology, Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation, Southeast Kentucky Economic Development (SKED) Corporation, and The Center for Rural Development.
For more information on the EIEA program, contact The Center for Rural Development at 606-677-6000 or EKU’s College of Business and Technology at 859-622-2334.
[flickrset id=”72157631838056342″ thumbnail=”square” photos=”” overlay=”true” size=”square”]
