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Small-business owners, as a group, are generally . But each year, one is highlighted by the U.S. Small Business Administration as small-business person of the year.

Criteria used to judge the candidates include product innovation, efforts to drive sales and create jobs, community involvement and overcoming adversity. The winner will be announced at the end of , which runs from June 17 to June 21.

From beekeeper suppliers to nanoneedle manufacturers, here’s who is in the running.

Alabama
Ellen M. Didier, president of .
Strategic marketing, branding, graphic design and website development.

Alaska
Doug Coon and Justin Herrin, owners of
Automotive parts and service business.

Arizona
John L. Stonecipher, president and CEO of
High-altitude flight school.

Arkansas
Charlott Adney, president of
Advanced skin care, including the sale of cosmetic products and laser treatments.

California
Michael “Jason” Ianni, president of
Design and install solar carports and canopies.

Colorado
Virginia McAllister, principal of
Architecture development, design and construction.

Connecticut
Christopher R. Runyan, president of Runyan Enterprises LLC, does business as
Franchises retail store that sells, purchases and trades new and used electronic gaming hardware, software and accessories.

Delaware
Coleman E. Bye III, president and owner of
The oldest printing company in Delaware, founded in 1871.

District of Columbia, Washington, D.C.
Tom. J. Loftus, president, founder and CEO of
Full-service program management and technical support services firm, does work for the U.S. federal government and private commercial clients.

Florida
Steve Miller, founder and president of
Medical recycling services.

Georgia
Beth Cayce, founder and CEO of
In-home personal care services for seniors; Caregiver Academy for family members to learn the skills necessary to care for loved ones.

Guam
Christopher F. Bejada, president and Director of , does business as PROA
Restaurant specializing in Chamorro cuisine native to Guam.

Hawaii
David Yogi Jr., P.E. and James K.P. Kwong, Ph.D., P.E., co-founders of
Geotechnical engineering firm specializing in trenchless technology, which allows underground work on sewers and water mains in urban areas without having to reroute traffic patterns in the local community and in nearby water systems.

Idaho
Daniel B. Todd, president of Triple T Enterprise Inc., does business as
Family-friendly restaurant serving pizza, pasta, salad, burgers and calzones.

Illinois
Saqib Nadeem, founder and CEO
High-end 24-hour pet resort located at airports with free parking for pet parents.

Indiana
Daniel Dale Schmidtendorff, president and CEO of
Designs, installs and services safety, security and communication equipment such as fire alarms, clocks and intercoms.

Iowa
Charles B. “Chuck” Hammond Jr., president and CEO of
Producer of customized lip balm and other natural body care products.

Kansas
Randy and Darla Schaller, owners of
Day-care business with live video streaming for parents and computers in every classroom to ensure kids grow to be fluent with technology.

Kentucky
Dr. Mehdi Yazdanpanah, CEO and founder of
Manufactures silver-gallium nanoneedles, tiny rods approximately 1/1,000th of the thickness of a human hair, which are used in biomedical applications, sensors and tools for semiconductor manufacturers.

Louisiana
Vince P. Gremillion, president of
Local provider of voice and data management services in New Orleans.

Maine
Matthew A. Qualey, president of
Produces granite countertops for kitchens and baths and a full range of flooring tiles, has wholesale contracts with Lowes and Home Depot.

Maryland
Michael C. Sawyers, president of
A service-disabled veteran-owned small business which provides information technology services for the Department of Defense and other U.S. government agencies.

Massachusetts
Scott Fallavollita, president of
Manufacturer specializing in metal fabrication, machining and metal stamping.

Michigan
Douglas Hekman, president of
Produces pork products including dinner ham, breakfast sausage and pork loin with smokehouse technology.

Minnesota
Peter Kelsey, owner and baker at
Gourmet bakery.

Mississippi
Jeff Good, president and managing director, and Dan Blumenthal, executive chef and partner at
Restaurant and ice cream scoop shop.

Missouri
Thomas H. Douglas, president
Provides technology consulting services for small-to-medium-sized businesses, focuses on full-service computer network care.

Montana
Joe Billion, president of
Four automobile dealerships selling Chryslers, Dodges, GMs and Nissans.

New Hampshire
Jay McSharry, owner of , and
Seafood, Mexican and American Tapas restaurants.

New Jersey
Lucas Kovalcik and Timothy Walsh, owners of
Indoor rock climbing gym.

New Mexico
Anthony R. Tenorio, CEO and chairman of
Supplies precision measurement, sensing and controls devices to commercial and government clients.

New York
Louis J. DeMent, CEO and vice president of
Manufactures pasta sauces since 1934, operates Italian-style restaurants.

North Carolina
Stephen T. Forrest, president; Sandra F. Forrest, secretary and treasurer; Shane R. Gebauer, chief operating officer of
Carries over 1,000 supply items for beekeepers.

North Dakota
Kari Warberg Block, CEO of
Produces an earth-friendly, rodent-repellent made with biodegradable ingredients safe for children and pets.

Ohio
Karri Bass, founder and president of
Market research and strategy firm dedicated to helping businesses better understand their customers.

Oklahoma
Pam Fountain-Wilks, owner and president of
Professional staffing in the information technology, engineering and accounting fields to government customers including the Federal Aviation Administration and Fort Sill in Oklahoma.

Oregon
Judith E. Huck, president
Sells and installs floor coverings for new home builders, restoration companies, homeowners and commercial construction clients.

Pennsylvania
Regina Broudy, president
Branded merchandise and decorated apparel provider.

Puerto Rico
José A. Irizarry, president Natalabriel Inc., does business as
Sells car tires, changes the oil and filter, lubricates automobile parts, and sells and services shock absorbers. His wife runs a school-supply store next door.

Rhode Island
Brenda Brock, founder, formulator and CEO of , also a former actress on the ABC-TV daytime drama One Life to Live
Creates, designs, produces and sells natural, herbal skincare products.

South Carolina
Noah Thomas Leask, president and CEO of Ishpi Information Technologies Inc., does business as
Supports U.S. counter-terrorism efforts through information operations and intelligence support services for the U.S. Central Command and the Department of Homeland Security, among other clients.

South Dakota
Dwayne Klarenbeek, president of
A plumbing, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and fire protection firm.

Tennessee
Hashem Merdad Hashemian, president and CEO of
Process instrumentation, online condition monitoring of industrial equipment, predictive maintenance, development of automated test equipment and technical training, services all 104 nuclear power plants currently operating in the U.S., as well as some in Europe and Asia.

Texas
Ahmed Mashnoon, CEO; Mueen Akhter, CFO; Aziz Mansoor, president of
Manufacturer and online retailer of promotional products and printed materials including wristbands, lanyards, tote bags, bottles, signs, stickers, pens, and more.

Utah
Roland J. Christensen, CEO of
Designs and sells carbon fiber prosthetic feet and knee parts internationally.

Vermont
Pete Johnson, president of
Certified organic four-season vegetable farm which utlizies moveable greenhouses.

Virginia
Jason Cohen, president
Provides data entry, scanning, indexing and clerical services to large corporations, banks, universities and federal agencies.

Virgin Islands
Charles N. King Jr., president Delta Electric & Construction Co. Inc.
A minority-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, HUBZone-certified firm which restores electricity to homes after hurricanes and provides general construction services.

Washington
Jill Blankenship, CEO of
Provides call center support to customers via phone, online chat or email response.

West Virginia
Diane Lewis, founder and CEO of
Site management services, including security, janitorial and facilities management, serving both government and commercial contract services.

Wisconsin
Tom Nieman, owner
Gourmet pet food.

Wyoming
Aaron Rodolph, president
Full-service landscaping company specializing in mowing, irrigation, tree trimming, plant health care, lawn care and snow removal.

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