Riggs receives national recognition for SBDC work with Miami University Regionals

Written by Rod Nimtz, External Relations & Communications

David Riggs, director of the Ohio Small Business Development Center at Miami University Regionals, has been recognized by the Ohio SBDC network as its 2021 State Star.

Riggs is one of 62 people recognized by the national SBDC network for exhibiting exemplary performance, making a significant contribution to their state or regional SBDC program, and showing a strong commitment to small business.

Among his achievements, Riggs was cited for negotiating the transfer of host responsibilities to Miami University Regionals, successfully absorbing Clermont County SBDC, and forming the Southwestern Ohio SBDC marketing collaborative. New satellite offices were opened in Oxford, Liberty Township, and Clinton County, and the Middletown branch office increased in size and visibility.

Since joining Miami Regionals as part of the Commerce Hub in West Chester at the Voice of America Learning Center the number of staff at the SBDC has doubled, and its service area has grown beyond Butler County to include Clermont, Brown, and Clinton counties.

The Commerce Hub is dedicated to providing both academic and professional programs to the individuals and organizations in southwestern Ohio area. Dr. Ted Light, Commerce Department chair, recently observed that “SBDC is a natural fit with our successful Small Business Management major and we look forward to growing this mutually beneficial partnership.”
 
Under Riggs leadership, in the 2020 federal fiscal year (Oct-Sept) 353 clients were served, more than 1,842 hours of counseling were provided, 60 businesses were started, and 237 jobs were created. As of the third quarter of this federal fiscal year the number of clients increased to 370, counseling hours rose to 2,610, and 48 business starts were paired with 200 jobs created.

Connecting clients with Miami Regionals resources is another major part of the work that Riggs leads. A recent example is a report developed as a service-learning project for an advanced geographic information system class. This semester-long project mapped current business density and opportunities in Brown, Clermont, and Clinton counties.