West Massachusetts News

Congressman Richard E. Neal joined SBA New England Regional Administrator Michael A. Vlacich, SBA Massachusetts District Director Robert H. Nelson, and local and state officials to celebrate Jim and Kelly Sullivan, President and Vice President of Millennium Press, for being named Massachusetts Small Business Persons of the Year by the Small Business Administration. The Sullivans were named the recipient of this award on April 24, 2023, and were honored at the annual SCORE Boston Celebrates Small Business Success.  

“When President Eisenhower signed the Small Business Act into law, creating the Small Business Administration, it was with the intent of helping American entrepreneurs start, grow, and build successful businesses; businesses like Millennium Press. Despite many challenges over the years, both during the 2008 financial crisis and then the COVID-19 pandemic, the will to succeed was always prevalent. Now, we can celebrate Jim and Kelly Sullivan as Small Business Persons of the Year,” said Congressman Neal. “The Sullivan family was determined to stay afloat when the financial crisis hit back in 2008, and with the help of my office and the SBA, Millennium Press was positioned to not only weather the financial crisis, but to grow and expand their company. We can now gather with great satisfaction knowing that our efforts culminated in a 34-year success story, one that has many more years to come.”

This award comes fifteen years after Millennium Press was rocked by the global financial crisis and forced to take decisive action to save their business. With the help of Congressman Neal and the SBA, Millennium Press put together a plan to consolidate its debt and refinance its assets, positioning the business to weather the economic turmoil. The SBA’s 504 loan program allowed Millennium Press to refinance its debt over twenty years, and the 7(a) loan program allowed the business to refinance several pieces of equipment over ten years.

“The Great Recession hit us hard. Kelly and I were so grateful for Congressman Neal’s support back in 2011. He directed us to seek out financing from the SBA,” said Millennium Press President Jim Sullivan. “Now, twelve years later, he and the SBA are visiting to recognize us as the MA Small Business Persons of the Year. We feel so fortunate.”

Refinancing during the global financial crisis positioned Millennium Press to confront economic challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. With the help of the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ushered in by Congressman Neal and Ways and Means Democrats, Millennium Press was able to retain their employees during the course of the pandemic. To date, all of the SBA loans issued to Millennium Press from 2010 – 2012 have been paid off, and their PPP loans forgiven.

"Retaining our employees during the pandemic was possible because of the SBA assistance,” said Millennium Press Vice President Kelly Sullivan. “We were able to continue paying for all laid off employee’s health insurance and continue all the retirement plans knowing we had the PPP funds. Even though our sales plummeted in 2020, we were able to pay all of our bills on time with the help of SBA programs.”

“I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to recognize Jim and Kelly Sullivan as the SBA Massachusetts Small Business Persons of the Year,” said SBA New England Regional Administrator Michael A. Vlacich. “They have shown how strong, resilient, and innovative they are. They are the perfect example of a local small business that had financing and assistance from SBA at multiple points in their entrepreneurial journey and is continuing to grow, thrive and give back to the community.”

“The Millennium Press story demonstrates how small businesses can persevere when faced with extraordinary challenges,” said SBA Massachusetts District Director Robert H. Nelson. “The Sullivans didn’t give up on their dreams and kept working towards sustainability with support from public/private resources including the SBA and its lender network that help stand by your side through the toughest challenges.”

Millennium Press is a full-service print shop that has been in business since 1989, when they began operating out of a one-car garage. Since the mid-1990s, they have been operating out of their 20,000 square foot facility at 570 Silver Street in Agawam, MA, providing clients with a host of services, including business cards, annual reports, direct mail, customer portal access, customized printing, print management, bindery, and graphic design services.

Original source can be found here.