Times Staff Report
Curtis Richardson, president of C&J Electrical Services, LLC in Birmingham has been named a finalist for the 2017 Lewis Shattuck Small Business Advocate of the Year Award.
The National Small Business Association (NSBA) honors small-business owners who go above and beyond to advocate for policies to improve America’s small-business community.
“I am honored to have been nationally recognized for doing what I do every day, being human.” Richardson said. “I strongly believe that if you take one moment at a time, it creates great and positive yesterdays.”
NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken said Richardson has been an advocate for small businesses throughout the state of Alabama.
“I am honored to recognize the difference he makes through his activism in local and state business groups, various industry groups and community organizations,” McCracken said.
Richardson founded C&J Electrical in 2001 and has continued to grow the company. He is president of the Birmingham Metro Black Chamber of Commerce and was appointed by former Governor Robert Bentley to serve two terms on the Alabama Small Business Commission. He has worked on legislation to address small-business apprenticeships and the threat of copper wire theft – a major concern for his industry.
Richardson has been recognized by Associated Builders and Contractors as an Emerging Contractor, and by the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City for his work to help position inner-city small businesses for growth and success.
“Running a successful business is hard work, but Curtis Richardson does that and manages to be extremely involved in his community and small-business issues throughout Alabama,” stated NSBA Chair Pedro Alfonso of Dynamic Concepts, Inc. in Washington, D.C. “I’m proud to work alongside business advocates like Curtis to ensure small-business ownership is still part of the American dream.”
When it comes to his philosophy for work, Richardson said he lives by one of his favorite quotes: “It’s the quality of the moment that determines the greatness of your existence,” he said. “I strongly believe that if you take one moment at a time, it creates great and positive yesterdays. Peace comes from adopting this idea and incorporating it in our lives daily. If we grasp this as part of our foundation, then not only will the lens switch on our business lives; our personal lives will also be seen from a whole different perspective.”
