Blue Moon Industries president named R.I. Small Business Person of the Year

THE U.S. Small Business Administration on Friday named Gary M. Palardy, president and CEO of Blue Moon Industries in Providence, “Rhode Island Small Business Person of the Year.”
THE U.S. Small Business Administration on Friday named Gary M. Palardy, president and CEO of Blue Moon Industries in Providence, “Rhode Island Small Business Person of the Year.”

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration on Friday named Gary M. Palardy, president and CEO of Blue Moon Industries in Providence, “Rhode Island Small Business Person of the Year.”

The award is given each year to one small business owner from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

This year, the SBA chose Palardy, who opened his software company in 1991. He did so with the help of a SBA-backed loan.

The state agency and Coastway Community Bank also helped Blue Moon Industries survive the Great Recession, which nearly ruined the company in 2008-09.

- Advertisement -

“I think the world of the SBA,” Palardy told Providence Business News, adding that he was humbled by the award. “A lot of small businesses wouldn’t get started with them.”

Blue Mooen Industries, headquartered in The Foundry, is primarily a business-to-business software company. It provides enterprise resource planning systems as a partner of Microsoft Dynamics GP, formerly known as Great Plains.

Mark S. Hayward, SBA Rhode Island district director, who’s currently advising the newly appointed U.S. SBA Administrator Linda McMahon, said there was great competition in Rhode Island this year, and he’s excited about the selection of Palardy.

“Blue Moon is going to represent Rhode Island well,” he said.

McMahon says the experience of naming the winners has been a “honor and distinct pleasure.”

“These small business owners define entrepreneurial spirit and best represent the 28 million small businesses that are the backbone and economic engine for today’s economy,” she said in a statement.

Palardy is now in the running for 2017 National Small Business Person of the Year, and is invited to join his fellow awardees on April 30 in Washington, D.C.

Victoria Bondoc, president and CEO of Gemini Industries Inc., of Burlington, Mass., was named Massachusetts Small Business Person of the Year.

No posts to display