NDIANA – Local entrepreneur Haskell D. “Danny” Portee is the winner of this year’s U.S. Small Business Administration Indiana District Office’s Small Business Person of the Year award. Portee owns Professional Management Enterprises, Inc., a professional services and personnel staffing firm headquartered in Indianapolis along with WellTrans and PLG Consulting. He will be recognized during National Small Business Week April 30 – May 6, 2023.
“It is my pleasure to announce Haskell D. Portee, or as we know him, Danny – President & CEO of Professional Management Enterprises, Inc. as this year’s SBA Indiana Small Business Person of the Year,” said SBA Indiana District Director Stacey Poynter. “Small business is the backbone of the American economy. Danny is a shining example of someone who took SBA resources and capitalized on them to grow a small business empire delivering a huge impact on the federal contracting dollars coming into our state but also impacting the greater good of the world we live in by providing desperately needed appointment and transportation assistance to Veteran and underserved communities increasing their access to healthcare in the VA and Medicare/Medicaid systems.”
Professional Management Enterprises, Inc. (PME) CEO Haskell D. Portee founded his Indianapolis-based company in 2006 after retiring from the U.S. Army. PME is a Minority Business Enterprise(MBE) & Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business(SDVOSB) certified professional services firm employing 350 people on teams offering customizable business solutions to 40+ clients across the United States. In 2022, Portee won the SBA Great Lakes Region and Indiana 8(a) Graduate of the Year. He has also participated in the SBA 7(j) Training and Emerging Leaders programs, used an SBA-backed loan to expand, and is active with the Indiana PTAC, Indiana SBDC and SCORE.
Portee actively serves on community boards and as a member of multiple civic organizations such as the American Cancer Society, 100 Black Men, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc, Job Ready Veterans, Alternative Inc. Battered Women’s Shelter and more. Because of his commitment to serving others, Portee was recognized by President Joe Biden with the distinguished 2022 President’s Lifetime Achievement Volunteer Service Award.
“Words can’t express how proud I’m for our employees, clients, and team members,” Portee said. “As we are still becoming a better us, my team gets to see the power of teamwork and dedication to contract compliance, effective communications and team building, the power of owning our client’s vision and mission to accomplish what they hired us to do. We are grateful for the recognition as we vow to be a blessing in our communities and nation. As a team, we will continue to remain focused and pay it forward in terms of Kingdom Building always. We truly believe that together we all can achieve greater success!”
Portee is also in the running to win the national Small Business of the Year award. That award will be announced by the SBA during National Small Business Week at ceremonies in Washington D.C.
In addition to the SBA Indiana Small Business Person of the Year, SBA Indiana recognizes winners in other SBA National Small Business Week categories including:
| SBA Great Lakes Region & Indiana 8(a) Graduate of the Year | SBA Indiana Exporter of the Year | ||
| Jesse Camacho, President/CEO | Carol Podolak & Joy Thompkins | ||
| Camacho Equipment & janitorial Supply, Inc., Greenfield | BNutty Peanut Butter, Portage | ||
| SBA Indiana Small Business Development Center Excellence and Innovation Award | SBA Great Lakes Region & Indiana Women’s Business Center of Excellence Award | ||
| Southeast Indiana Small Business Development Center, New Albany | WEOC WBC at the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center, Fort Wayne |
To learn more about SBA Indiana resources, services, and events please visit www.sba.gov/in. You can also follow us on Twitter @SBA_Indiana.
