Blue Ridge Community College is proud to announce that its Small Business Center has been recognized with a 2025 “Business Success Story – Overcoming Challenges” Award by the North Carolina Community College System’s Small Business Center Network (SBCN). 

The honor was announced in a statewide news release of the North Carolina Community College System, which highlighted exemplary innovation, collaboration, and impact across North Carolina’s 58 community college–based centers.

According to the SBCN, this year’s award recipients “embody the very best of the Small Business Center Network,” said Anne Shaw, State Director. “Their dedication, creativity, and commitment to serving North Carolina’s entrepreneurs strengthen our communities every single day.”

John Loyack, vice president of economic development for the System, added in the same release that the leaders and centers recognized “demonstrate how our community colleges drive entrepreneurship, support job creation, and help businesses overcome challenges and thrive.”

Blue Ridge received the award for its story “Replanting Hope: Botanical Treasures Rebuilds After Hurricane Helene,” which chronicles how the Small Business Center supported local nursery owner Robert Stine after Hurricane Helene destroyed nearly $2 million in his business’ plants in September 2024. 

As cited in the NCCCS release, SBC Director Ben Smith and guest counselors provided “more than 15 hours of counseling and guidance with insurance claims, marketing, and funding access.” With the Center’s support and Smith’s “steadfast leadership,” Botanical Treasures secured more than $34,000 in recovery grants and has since reopened as a powerful symbol of resilience in Western North Carolina.

The award-winning story was a collaborative effort between Blue Ridge Community College’s Marketing and Communications Department and the Small Business Center. A team effort, interviews and photography were conducted on location by Benjamin Rickert, Blue Ridge’s director of marketing and communications, alongside Smith and Stine. Additional support for the story and publicity was provided by Hendersonville’s Formation PR + Brand, Inc.

“This story is just one of many examples of how Blue Ridge Community College has leveraged every resource available to support local businesses, partners, students, and neighbors in the aftermath of last year’s historic storm,” explained Rickert. “Our communications team was honored to help highlight this important work, and Ben Smith’s leadership has been instrumental in helping businesses pick up the pieces and find a new path forward.”

The full announcement of this year’s SBCN award winners is available in the North Carolina Community College System’s official press release. More information about the vital services of Blue Ridge’s Small Business Center is online at www.blueridge.edu/sbc.