Sampson County’s Steven Ceccarelli, owner of Farm Fresh Produce, Inc., has been named the 2019 SBA North Carolina Small Business Person of the Year.

Farm Fresh Produce, located in the Keener area, opened in 2010 as a produce marketing and selling company with six employees and corporate offices in Faison. Six years later, in 2016, the company renovated a 20,000 square foot facility and now has 80 employees and operates two sweet potato curing, packing and storage facilities.

Administrator Linda McMahon, the head of the U.S. Small Business Administration, announced the 2019 Small Business Persons of the Year winners from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam. Winners have been invited to attend ceremonies in Washington, D.C. where they will be honored with their individual award. During the ceremonies, SBA will announce the 2019 National Small Business Person of the Year.

“I am delighted to recognize the 53 winners from across the country as they gather in our nation’s capital,” McMahon said. “Entrepreneurs are the innovators who take risks on ideas, invest in their communities, and create jobs.”

“National Small Business Week gives us the opportunity to recognize the outstanding achievements of small business owners like Steven Ceccarelli who create jobs, grow our economy, and give back to the community in so many ways,” said Lynn Douthett, director of SBA’s North Carolina district office.

Ceccarelli, a Canadian immigrant and naturalized United States citizen, is the sole owner and primary manager of Farm Fresh Produce, Inc. Prior to founding Farm Fresh, Ceccarelli worked in the family wholesale produce business in Canada after earning the Canadian equivalent of a two-year associate degree in business management and statistics. In 2004, Ceccarelli emigrated to the U.S. as an export consultant for a Mississippi firm seeking to start exporting sweet potatoes, advising small growers who lacked technical export skills. After four years in Mississippi, he moved to Faison to work for Southern Produce, where his primary responsibilities centered on export markets.

Sampson County officials presented a grant check to Steven Ceccarelli, president of Farm Fresh Produce. Ceccarelli was named the 2019 SBA North Carolina Small Business Person of the Year.
https://www.clintonnc.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_FarmFresh1.jpgSampson County officials presented a grant check to Steven Ceccarelli, president of Farm Fresh Produce. Ceccarelli was named the 2019 SBA North Carolina Small Business Person of the Year.