2017 was a year of excitement, achievement, and growth at RBV. Awards, nominations, and contracts proved that the hard work we’ve been doing in Detroit and Michigan (and that we love doing) is being recognized by the community and the state. As the year comes to a close, we’d like to take the time to reflect on a few of the milestones that made 2017 such a fantastic year!
Michigan Celebrates Small Business
This year, we were honored to be named as one of Michigan Celebrates Small business, “Michigan 50 Companies to Watch.” According to Jennifer Deamud, Director of Michigan Celebrates Business and Associate State Director of the Michigan Small Business Development Center, “The companies selected this year give us an understanding of Michigan’s successful entrepreneurial ecosystem. These companies are significant drivers of our economy. In addition, they play a critical role in their communities as job creators.”
Judges evaluated nominees’ demonstration of intent and capacity to grow based on the following:
- Employee or sales growth
- Exceptional entrepreneurial leadership
- Sustainable competitive advantage
- Other notable factors that showcase the company’s success
Given the criteria, we were proud to be chosen and help represent Michigan’s entrepreneurial economy.
HUBZone Employee of the Year
Not only was the entire company recognized for its accomplishments, but one of our employees was named “Employee of the Year,” by the National HUBZone Council. Dante Catanese earned the award by showing dedication and excelling in the following areas.
- Supporting others
- Community Involvement
- Promoting HUBZone Program Values & Spirit
Throughout his daily life, in and out of work, Catanese exhibits these traits and goes above and beyond to bring the values of RBV and the HUBZone Program to life. We are proud to call him a part of the RBV family and even prouder that his excellence was recognized by others.
End of Fiscal Year Contracts
With the addition of four prime federal government contracts to our portfolio in the final quarter of the Government’s fiscal year, we finished out 2017 as our most successful year yet.
The four contracts valued at $4.1 million, include: Repair Vehicle Exhaust System at the 88th Regional Support Command in Southfield, Mich., Cellar Void Repairs in Sebewaing, Mich., Repair Exterior Concrete of Building 305 at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township, Mich., and the Clinton River Restoration in Shelby Township, Mich. The addition of these contracts means we will be working through the winter and will have a backlog of work going into 2018.
A Year of Growth and Recognition
And, not to toot our own horn, but 2017 was a year for growth that is expected to continue into 2018. In 2017, we doubled our annual revenue from the previous two calendar years and experienced a more than 33-percent increase in internal from last year.
This growth did not go unnoticed and RBV was profiled by SBA Administrator, Linda McMahon on the 2017 SBA Ignite Tour.
Given how great 2017 was, 2018 is set to follow suit. We’ve got big goals for a big year and we hope to maintain our annual revenue and grow our general contracting and construction manager client base.
And, of course, we look forward to being a part of Detroit’s continued growth and we can’t wait to see what 2018 has in store for the city and for us!
