NYSBDC Procurement Entrepreneur of the Year - Ben Primicias, School Daze

The New York Small Business Development Center is pleased to recognize the boldest, brightest, and best small companies and enterprising individuals in New York State.  Eight small business owners were honored at the 2017 Client Awards ceremony on April 24, 2017.  Read all their stores here. 

J. Ben Primicias has been in the school supply business for a long time. He opened his first store with the assistance of the Watertown SBDC in 1991, selling a variety of educational items for teachers and parents. In 1996 Ben returned to the SBDC for assistance in buying property and building a structure with more room for inventory. The expansion required that he add new employees. Most of Ben’s in-store business is from local teachers, schools and parents, but his catalog has generated sales from across the country and overseas and account for nearly half his total sales. In 2008, Ben added another aspect to his business, consulting the SBDC before building an attached seasonal ice cream stand called Cool Craze, which serves both soft serve and hard ice cream. By 2015, Ben was considering closing the business and retiring because of increased competition with state contracts. He talked to his SBDC Advisor and determined that as a native Filipino he qualified as a minority vendor. It took nearly a year of perseverance, but he finally received his NYS certification as an MWBE business, gaining access to more contracts. With his revenues growing again, Ben decided against retirement and has added more employees.