April 14, 2023 – Dennis Nash of Control Station is SBA Connecticut’s 2023 Small Business Person of the Year!

The U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announces Dennis Nash, President & CEO of Control Station, Manchester, CT as Connecticut’s 2023 Small Business Person of the Year. With this announcement, Dennis Nash will go on to compete for the National Small Business Person Award at a ceremony Washington, D.C. April 30^th.

“A SBA Small Business Person of the Year is one that shows staying power, innovativeness of product, responsiveness to adversity, contributions to community and growth in employees; this criteria is deeply rooted in Control Station, since its founding on UCONN’s campus. Indeed, under Mr. Nash’s leadership Control Station is recognized as a leader in process analytics and optimization,’ said Catherine Marx, SBA’s Connecticut District Director.  ‘Our Small Business Week awards allow us to recognize our outstanding small businesses in Connecticut – they are the job creators, innovators, and the fabric of our communities.”

Dennis Nash is a forward-thinking strategist who has positioned Control Station as an emerging leader in industrial process analytics and optimization. Mr. Nash was appointed President of Control Station in 2004 and transitioned the company from a hobby business into a leading and global supplier of process diagnostic and optimization technologies. Control Station was originally formed on the campus of the University of Connecticut in 1988 and it began by licensing a suite of process simulation and controller tuning tools to colleges and universities. Control Station’s licenses solutions to half of the manufacturers listed among the Fortune 500 and supports facilities located in over 70 countries.  Dennis and his team have successfully built a multi-million-dollar software business that currently employs fifteen fulltime staff. Furthermore, Dennis was the Connecticut SBA Exporter of the Year –2018- and has utilized SBA capital programs.

“Over the past two years, America has had a record-breaking 10.5 million people apply to start businesses nationally and 332,000 across New England. I’m thrilled to recognize the strong, resilient, and innovative small business award winners leading the way from across Connecticut,” said Mike Vlacich, SBA New England Regional Administrator. “Small businesses like these are the reason we are emerging from the pandemic stronger.  I congratulate them on their achievements and their role in creating jobs and powering our nation’s historic economic comeback.”

As Connecticut’s Small Business Person of the Year, Dennis Nash, will join other Connecticut Small Business Week award winners during a Small Business Resource Expo and award ceremony, Thursday, May 4^th  Rentschler Field, East Hartford, CT. This year SBA Connecticut’s Small Business Week event is being planned in a joint agreement Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA).

National Small Business Week will be celebrated April 30^th – May 5^th, it honors the nation’s small businesses, many of which are veteran, women and minority-owned, for their achievements and dedication to their communities. This year’s National Small Business Week activities will include numerous educational panels providing retooling and innovative practices for entrepreneurs as our nation’s small businesses look to pivot and recover toward a stronger economy.

About the U.S. Small Business Administration 

The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.