“For me, being an entrepreneur is about creating liberty for myself and it truly has been that way,” says Rozanne Garman. “I have been able to go after some really big dreams of my own in creating RHD and doing things I never would have thought I would do.”

And Rozanne, president of RHD Enterprises, Inc., has achieved what few will; she was named the SBA National Small Business Person of the Year for Washington State (2017).

As a general contractor, the type of work done by RHD varies. Rozanne says the way her design-build firm does business is what differentiates them, firmly believing RHD’s job is to make the clients’ job easier. Some of their noteworthy customers include the Coast Guard, the Navy, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Army Corps of Engineers.

RHD started as a home-based business in 2005. “When we started out, we were a small tile company, averaging approximately 80 grand a year gross. Since then we have learned the business end of how to be a contractor and we have grown a lot,” shares Rozanne. By utilizing 8(a), minority and woman-owned small business certifications RHD, won more than $12 million in contracts during 2015 and now employ 12 full-time employees. “The 8(a) program has been extremely helpful for RHD,” she said.

The SBA Small Business Person of the Year award recognizes small business owners who demonstrate staying power and have at least three years of business operation. Winners must also show growth in net worth and business expansion, increase in jobs and sales, innovativeness of products or services, response to adversity, and contributions to community-oriented projects.

One of Rozanne’s favorite things about being a business owner is creating a company culture where family comes first. With two young children, her goal is to be home by five every day, a work-life balance that she encourages for all her employees. With that philosophy, it’s not surprising Rozanne was nominated by her team for the 2016 Thurston County Boss of the Year award and won.