Recognized for Excellence

Awards and media recognition that highlight our trusted impact and proven success.

SBA’s San Antiono District Celebrates Small Businesses of the Year and other Local Honorees for their Success and Impact

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s San Antonio District Office is celebrating our local Small Businesses of the Year and additional honorees as it prepares for National Small Business Week, which will take place May 4-9, 2025. Please join us on May 7 in celebrating the winners who have empowered entrepreneurial success, created jobs and driven economic growth in the last year, including:

Small Business persons of the year

Jacob & Stephanie Arocha - JLA Communications

JLA Communications, LLC is a full-service low-voltage, audio visual, and electrical contractor delivering scalable infrastructure solutions for complex, high-performance environments. They specialize in design-build and large-scale deployments supporting data centers, K-12 education, government, healthcare, commercial facilities, non-profits, and municipalities. Its owners, Jacob and Stephanie Arocha, have established a level of success that have won the Small Business Persons of the Year for the SBA San Antonio District and catapulted them to a meteoric level built on SBA Assistance and lending that helped them leverage the opportunities they worked hard top create.

Jacob leads field operations, training, and workforce development. Before launching JLA, he managed complex telecommunications, fiber, and security projects for NASA, military bases, school districts, and major commercial facilities. Stephanie leads operational, financial, and cultural foundations with prior experience in communications, marketing, and management.

Through critical and timely capital assistance from the SBA, they obtained a $50,000 SBA Express LOC, $150,000 SBA 7A working capital term note, and a $500,000 SBA express LOC. These infusions catapulted them to a high-level of success that doubled employees to 40 and reached nearly $8Million in sales in 2024 – four times more than two years prior!

Smiling beekeeper holding bee-covered honeycomb

Rural Small Business of the Year

Charlie Bee Company

Full-scale operation. Today, Charlie manages hundreds of honeybee colonies across Central Texas, helping landowners qualify for Ag valuation, producing honey, and performing humane live bee removals that safely relocate wild colonies to the Charlie Bee homestead, where they are nurtured and reintegrated into managed apiaries. Founder Charlie Agar discovered beekeeping in 2013 through an introductory course like the one he now offers at Charlie Bee. What started as a hobby quickly grew into a With help from UTSA’s Small Business Development Center, Charlie Bee Company became a hub for beekeeping education and community engagement. At the beekeeping school and retail shop, aspiring beekeepers receive hands-on training, expert guidance, and essential equipment.

The shop also serves as a gathering place for local beekeepers and offers interactive bee encounters. Charlie Bee Company also expanded to a national TV program, now in its second season. The documentary-style series follows Charlie and his team as they remove wild honeybee colonies, share the wonder of pollinators, and highlight the importance of honeybees.

Young Entrepreneur of the Year

Andres Echavarria - Takitos Con Sabor

Entrepreneurship runs in Andres Echavarria’s family with both parents as businessowners. Inspired, he started Takitos Con Sabor, after graduating from Texas State University and selling his college ring to buy his first food truck. In 2019, Echavarria became a long-term client of Sul Ross SBDC and secured PPP and EIDL loans to stay afloat during COVID.

Takitos Con Sabor is known for its bold Mexican flavors and offers outdoor seating, takeout, and delivery. Customers praise his service and voted it "Best Tacos" and "Best Food Truck" in the Best of Eagle Pass 2025 Awards.

Echavarria offers employees guidance, structure, and encouragement to pursue their education. His business is built on a strong foundation of community involvement, giving back and helping others. It is not just part of his business; it's a core part of who he is.

Blue Collar Business of the Year

G- Hyatt Construction Justin Hyatt

Justin Hyatt grew up in construction alongside his father, Gerald Hyatt in North Carolina. In 2011, Justin moved to Austin and started G Hyatt Construction, named after Justin's father, whose experience and knowledge was key to Justin's success. Since inception, G Hyatt has completed a large range of projects, including parks, police stations, senior centers, apartments, streetscapes, office buildings, pools, community centers, substations, schools, dormitories, hotels, and visitor's centers. A long-term client of TX State University's SBDC, he obtained two SBA 7(a) loans over the years, which facilitated the company's growth to approximately $25 million annually with revenue growth over $93 Million from 2022-2025. G Hyatt admirably retains 61 full-time employees and 194 contract workers. G Hyatt's clients consistently attest to his company's rare level of professionalism, competence, and integrity as it approaches each project with a problem-solving mindset. Hyatt's communication is known to be clear with project completion on time and on budget. Undoubtedly, an award-winning formula!

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Small Business Week Awards

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), San Antonio District Office, the Texas South-West SBDC Network and the UTSA SBDC honor the district's 2026 Small Business Week Award Winners.

Every year since 1963, the President of the United States has declared National Small Business Week to formally recognize the important role and contributions of America's small businesses. National and local events recognize top entrepreneurs for their achievements, which includes those individuals and organizations who are champions for small business.