New York, USA: Indian American businessman Jay Reddy has received the State Small Business Person of the Year award in this year's Small Business Administration's (SBA) nationwide search. Virginia-based Reddy, Chairman and CEO of ProLogic, Inc., received the award April 24 at a glittering ceremony held in Washington. Reddy got the award for West Virginia. Reddy, born in south India, attended Virginia Tech, and earned a master's degree from West Virginia University. He has been residing in the US state for 16 years.

Reddy formed ProLogic, an IT firm, in 1995 and steadily built it into a successful business, providing quality software development, IT products and systems integration and engineering. With SBA's help, Reddy won several federal contracts leading to a 400 percent increase in employment and a 600 percent rise in revenues in the last four years, according to SBA. ProLogic's total revenue is over $25 million.

"This is the first time a West Virginia company has made it to the list, which reflects positively on the leadership at ProLogic and also on West Virginia and the technology corridor as a whole," said Judy McCauley, district director of SBA's West Virginia office.

Reddy said: "From simple beginnings and a dream to become a successful business, ProLogic has become home to over 230 skilled and valuable employees. This recognition is a validation of the hard work and effort our employees have put forth, not just in 2004 but over the 10-year history of the company."

The event was attended by Senator John Kerry, chairman, US Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship and Matt Kistler, senior vice president, marketing, research and insights, Sam's Club.