BOSTON – Todd Snopkowski, Owner and Founder of Snapchef, has been named the 2015 Massachusetts SBA “Small Business Person of the Year.” Snapchef is a chef owned-and-operated company, specializing in providing culinary staff — both temporary and permanent placement — to the most prestigious food service companies in New England.
In 2002, Snopkowski saw an opportunity to solve a problem in the food service industry when he carved a niche market for Snapchef to become the region’s leader in culinary training and staffing. Today there are over 250 Snapchef employees who service institutional and corporate food service clients such as Sodexo, Compass, Unidine, Nexdine, Café Services and Harvard University at over 200 locations spread out over 4 states.
Like many small businesses experiencing explosive growth in their early years, Snapchef faced challenges in managing the growth, cash flow and its ability to continue smooth business operations during this critical time. This was the turning point for Snopkowski that led him to seek out help from the SBA.
He utilized free SBA counseling services at the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center (MSBDC) at Clark University, and also at UMass Boston, to explore ways to address the problems Snapchef was facing in order to continue growing the business.
As a result, Snopkowski was able to expand Snapchef from a 300 square foot office – to a facility of over 7000 square feet in South Boston — with the help from supporters that included MSBDC and the City of Boston. In 2013, Snapchef added a new culinary training center in South Boston, which Todd Snopkowski now owns. Help from Radius Bank and Granite State Economic Development Corporation was secured to utilize the SBA 504 program that allowed him to purchase the property, and he also utilized the SBA 7A and SBA Express guaranteed loan programs to consolidate debt, and to support receivables through a traditional bank line of credit and position his business for further growth.
“Todd Snopkowski and Snapchef exemplify perfectly what this very significant SBA award is intended to recognize,” said Robert H. Nelson, Massachusetts District Director of the SBA. “The business is not only rapidly growing and creating a significant number of jobs, but Todd has also touched the lives of so many over the history of the business due to his passion for the business and the community.”
For Snopkowksi, it’s the culmination of many years of hard work. “I am thrilled to be honored as the ‘SBA Small Business Person of the Year’ and am so grateful for the help I’ve had from them along the way. The SBA has been an invaluable resource for me, especially during our growth spurt these last few years,” he says. “When your company expands at such a rapid pace, it’s exciting, but if you don’t make the right decisions, you can risk losing what you’ve worked so hard to create. I’ve got a great team, and a lot of incredible mentors, and I intend to pay forward what I’ve learned to other small business owners to help them realize their full potential.”
Todd Snopkowski will be honored along with the other Massachusetts Small Business Week 2015 award winners at an event at Sheraton Framingham on May 4, 2015.
About SBA National Small Business Week:
Every year since 1963, the President of the United States has issued a proclamation announcing National Small Business Week, which recognizes the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year. As part of National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration takes the opportunity to highlight the impact of outstanding entrepreneurs, small business owners, and others from all 50 states and U.S. territories. Every day, they’re working to grow small business, create 21st century jobs, drive innovation, and increase America’s global competitiveness.
About Snapchef:
Snapchef is a chef owned and operated company specializing in providing culinary staff, both temporary and permanent placement, to the most prestigious food service companies in New England. Founder and CEO, Todd Snopkowski, is dedicated to working with people in the food service industry and ensuring that his clients receive the best-qualified staff for the job. Every employee completes a six-point background check and is trained through ServSafe certified food preparation and handling programs. Since Snapchef was founded in 2002, the company has grown to 600 employees and is a trusted provider for major universities, hospitals, five star hotels, and corporate cafeterias, including: Harvard, Sodexho, Aramark, Compass, and Tufts University. For more information on Snapchef, please visit: www.snapchef.com
