Quick Pickle Kit Team Named SBA’s 2019 Small Business Persons of the Year

Release Date: April 15, 2019 

 Contact: victor.bribiesca@sba.gov

Release Number: 19-415

U.S. Small Business Administration Recognizes San Luis Obispo County Women Entrepreneurs as 2019 Small Business Persons of the Year

SBA To Present Award on May 6th in San Luis Obispo

FRESNO – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) today announced Andrea Wasko and Meaghan Gilbert, owners of Los Osos based Connoisseur Creations, Inc., as the SBA’s 2019 Small Business Persons of the Year for the SBA’s 15 county San Joaquin Valley and Central Coast region. 

The SBA will present Andrea Wasko and Meaghan Gilbert with their Small Business Persons of the Year award at 1:30 pm on Monday, May 6, 2019 at the County Government Center 1055 Monterey Street in San Luis Obispo, 4th Floor Conference Room #454. The award presentation event is open to the media.

Established in 1996, Connoisseur Creations’ flagship product, the Quick Pickle Kit, uses recipes handed down through Andrea’s family and is sold on Amazon and at local retailers. The Quick Pickle Kit is Safe, Quick, Simple and Natural and consumers can use the kit to pickle any vegetable. QuickPickleKit.com promotes health and reduces food waste. Connoisseur Creations donates part of the Quick Pickle Kit’s sales to local nonprofit agencies, and their products are assembled by disabled adults. 

“Meaghan and I are grateful to the SBA, and Mission Community Services Corporation’s Women’s Business Center for their support of Connoisseur Creations,” said Andrea Wasko. “We are honored to be recognized as the SBA’s 2019 Small Business Persons of the Year, and appreciate the opportunity to advocate for other women owned businesses,” said Wasko. 

Connoisseur Creations used assistance from SBA funded Mission Community Services Corporation’s Women’s Business Center to make critical decisions about their company’s operations, which allowed the business to run more effectively and efficiently. 

“The SBA is proud to recognize Andrea and Meaghan as our 2019 Small Business Persons of the Year,” said Fresno District Director Dawn Golik. “Connoisseur Creations is a great success story about how SBA programs including Women Business Centers, provide free assistance to help woman owned companies start up, scale up, and succeed.” 

National Small Business Week will be observed May 5-11, 2019, with events in Washington, D.C., around the country and online. 

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About the U.S. Small Business Administration 

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created in 1953 and since January 13, 2012, has served as a Cabinet-level agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation. The SBA helps Americans start, build and grow businesses. Through an extensive network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations, the SBA delivers its services to people throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam. Web: www.sba.gov Twitter: @SBAgov  Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Blogs & Instagram #SBA #CA #California #nonprofit #business #womanowned #award #press #media #news #entrepreneur #SmallBusinessWeek #garden #grow #intheknow #WomanOwnedBusiness #US #sustainable #sustainability #smallbusiness #foodwaste #health #shopsmall #disabled #EarthDay #QuickPickleKit