Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) named central Georgia’s Unified Defense and Prince Service & Manufacturing owner, Eric R. Williams, as the Small Business Person of the Year award winner for the state of Georgia. Unified Defense and Prince Service & Manufacturing are combined metals manufacturing companies based in Macon and Byron, Georgia. 

U.S. SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman announced the National Small Business Week (NSBW) 2024 Award Winners, composed of business owners, lending partners, and advocates who embody the grit and determination that power our nation’s economy and ensure disaster-impacted communities can recover. 

“Our 2024 National Small Business Week award winners exemplify excellence, innovation, and commitment, and the SBA is proud to showcase their incredible achievements and impact on their communities and our economy,” said Administrator Guzman.

The NSBW Award Ceremonies will take place April 28 - 29, 2024, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Washington, D.C., where Administrator Guzman will recognize the national award winners and individual state winners, and also announce the top honor of National Small Business Person of the Year from among the individual state winners. 

Local business owner, Eric R. Williams, serves as president of the combined companies. He is a board member of the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce, with Prince Manufacturing and Unified Defense invested as the Chamber’s top-tier Regional Influencers. Last year, Prince Manufacturing was awarded the Greater Macon Chamber’s Workforce Development Champion of 2023. 

The full national news release about the award and its U.S. recipients can be found here: SBA Administrator Guzman Announces 2024 National Small Business Week Award Winners | U.S. Small Business Administration