Golden Valley entrepreneur is Minnesota's Small Business Champion of the Year

ST. PAUL, Minn., Oct. 30, 2009 – Golden Valley entrepreneur Bill Gullickson is the Solveras/NFIB Small Business Champion of the Year for Minnesota, it was announced today.

The honor was conferred upon him by the Minnesota Leadership Council of the National Federation of Independent Business and Solveras Payment Solutions, one of the nation’s leading payment processing companies for small business. Each year, NFIB and Solveras single out a small business owner in all 50 states for special recognition and honor him or her with the prestigious Small Business Champion of the Year award. This is the sixth year America’s leading small business association has recognized small business owners who go the extra mile for their fellow entrepreneurs.

“Bill Gullickson is a small business leader in deeds, not in words,” said Mike Hickey, NFIB’s Minnesota state director. “When our Leadership Council set up a new legislative activism project this year, he personally made four visits to senators and representatives to help defeat a bad tax bill that was harmful for the state’s economy. The other thing that makes Bill a truly great small business advocate is his extensive knowledge on the negative effects regulations can have on business. When lawmakers hear from Bill Gullickson about the negative effects of regulations, they are hearing from a respected, experienced business person who has experienced a lot in the area of regulations.”

Gullickson has been an NFIB member for 26 years and a Minnesota Leadership Council member since its inception. He is the current chair of that group. He has also been a generous donor to NFIB’s political action committee and its Young Entrepreneur Foundation scholarship fund. A big believer in the importance of public education, Gullickson serves on the advisory board of his local school district.