Charleston Firm Is National Minority Small Business of the Year Finalist

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- September 26, 2011**-- **Kenneth B. Canty, President and CEO of Freeland Construction Company in Charleston, is one of ten finalists competing this week for the National Minority Small Business Person of the Year title in Washington, D.C. The competition is part of the 29th annual Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week conference hosted by the U.S. Small Business Administration and the U.S. Department of Commerce's Minority Business Development Agency. This year, the conference will take place Sept. 27-30 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington.

Canty is the Regional Minority Small Business Person for the southeast region. Winners from the nine other regions include business owners from Massachusetts, Puerto Rico, Virginia, Texas, Kansas, South Dakota, Indiana, California and Washington. The national winner will be chosen from the ten regional winners.

Canty was selected as the Regional Minority Small Business Person based on his company's growth, uniqueness, performance on government contracts and response to adversity. Freeland Construction specializes in renovation, rehabilitation and restoration projects. When the company lost its main client during the 2008 Charleston area military facility joint basing, Canty turned it into an opportunity to cultivate new clients, including various southeastern offices of the federal General Services Administration. Since 2009, Freeland's sales have continually increased, and the company has grown from five to eight full-time employees. This past summer, the company sponsored an intern from the American College of Building Arts as part of an effort to help the college connect with the minority business community.

The National Minority Small Business Person of the Year will be announced at the MED Week conference's awards gala on Friday, Sept. 30. Additional events at this year's conference include a business expo and a White House minority business roundtable. For more information, see www.medweek.gov.

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Media Contact: Anna Huntley 803.253.3753