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Iam C. Tucker of ILSI Engineering (Integrated Logistical Support Inc.) in Louisiana is the National Small Business Person of the Year!
As a second-generation owner of ILSI, Iam has overseen tremendous business growth over the last 15 years in the engineering field while demonstrating the value of hard work and resourcefulness in ensuring continued resilience.
Congrats!
#SmallBusinessWeek
I love New Orleans because
there is no city on earth like us. My name is Iam Christian Tucker. I'm the President
and CEO of ILSI Engineering. ILSI stands for Integrated
Logistical Support, Inc. We are a civil engineering
company, full suite. Construction companies
can't build what they're building
horizontally or vertically without having a set of plans
that actually work. We're the ones that make
the pictures go. It's very, very evident
that ILSI is passionate about the communities
in which they work. They're participants in not just the design
and the construction, but the overall impact
and incorporation of that project
into the community. Company was started 30 years ago
now, as of this year, by my father, Robert H. Tucker Jr., who was a
in New Orleans history, the first African-American aide
to Mayor Moon Landrieu, Mitch Landrieu���s father and he helped
to integrate New Orleans. We're a city that floods while he was not an engineer,
and I'm not an engineer either. Let's take our knowledge
of government contracting, our knowledge of
what's needed around here, and merge
those two together to figure out how we can create a
company that can really help. In New Orleans,
we're a major cultural town. Our industry is tourism. We live and die by the very,
very rich cultural history that we have here. That community is in need of attention,
of investment, of activity. I was a Baton Rouge
police officer. I wanted to work Narcotics. And he was like,
It's time for you to come back into the family
business. I've known Iam
since she was in the womb because I worked with her mother
and her father in their businesses. It's a legacy of business
and business growth and entrepreneurship
in my family. The 8a Business
Development Program, that's where we got started. It's designed
to help the small business owner grow and develop
and become engaged with doing business
with the Federal Government. She wanted to enter
into a mentor-protege agreement with a firm that she thought
could support her. And having them to help
even mediate sometimes in difficult
situations has been everything. They're your advocate. So she goes in
knowing what she needs and she knows what
she wants to do, and she is not going to take
anything less. Getting into a bona fide
mentor-protege relationship by the SBA in the 8a Program
seriously helped us to be able to gain access to doors
that we otherwise would not have been able
to gain access to. Her role as a certified 8a firm also certifies her as a small,
disadvantaged business, which means she is in a position
to help the federal agencies meet the 13% goal that we have
for fiscal year 23. Being a business
that's a minority business and it's difficult
for a minority owned business. That's
why the 8a Program exists. ILSI Is really that New Orleans champion that
working on a project with you, you know, you're not just getting
great service, you're getting somebody
who really, really cares not just about that project,
but about the property next to it
and the city in general. It's my motto always,
you take care of those that take care of you. That being able to take care of
people has always been part
of the service of this family and definitely
this company as well. Iam is not one that says, okay,
I'm going to get all I can and can all I get. Rather, she looks to see how
she can support other small businesses
and the community in general. I would like for my clients
to know I'm always going
to give you the truth, whether it's hard or not.
I'm always going to tell you what I can do
and what I can't do. And I think them knowing
that they can take my word to the bank, means everything. Whether it's attention to detail, just
their overall accountability to do what they say
they're going to do. Ultimately, that ties back
to working for a company that people believe in and also
one that has a strong culture. To be a company,
now with 50 people, to have work in different states thanks
to the 8a Program is a blessing. ILSI not only professionally
are they top notch, they've been super helpful,
personally accessible and again, great advocates
and professionals on any project they've worked on. It's been a joy to work with
them, to be completely honest. And I don't say that lightly. This is her city,
this is her home, and she wants this city
to be better. She's just again,
it's contagious. Her love, her energy,
her passion towards whatever
she seems to be directing or focus on at any given time. I am not surprised at all
that she is our Small Business Person of the Year.
Full Service Civil Engineering, Construction Management, PM, Stormwater Management Firm; Equity Partner & Board Member @ Southern Roots Therapeutics - MS; Small Business Advocate; Trusted & Proven Community Leader
I also want to wish a Congratulations to all of my state counterparts who won this year as well!! Many of them are in the comments below, and are the best of the best in their states! My fellow honorees are phenomenal, any one of them could have won this award as well. Please make sure to learn who they are and what they do!!!
This National Preparedness Month, make sure you have an emergency kit for your business.
Include:
✔ Non-perishable food & water that can last several days
✔ Flashlights, radios & extra batteries
✔ First aid kit
More here: https://www.ready.gov/kit#BeReady
Did you know there 3.5 million Black-owned businesses that employ more than 1.2 million workers? If
you’re thinking about starting or growing your business, check out SBA’s resources to help you along
the way: https://lnkd.in/eAJFpit#BlackBusinessMonth
The El Paso Women's Business Border Center hosted their 20th International Women Business Symposium which offers El Paso entrepreneurs on opportunity to elevate their knowledge and inspire others in a dynamic learning forum composed of many strong and wise women from the community. The EPDO was proud to participate and welcome Christina Hale, Assistant Administrator for the SBA's Office of Women's Business Ownership.
Owner, Forest Photography, LLC
5moCONGRATULATIONS