[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 131 (Wednesday, September 7, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1541]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     RECOGNIZING S&W CONTRACTING OF WESTERN NEW YORK'S ACHIEVEMENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BRIAN HIGGINS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 7, 2011

  Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of S&W Contracting, a 
successful local business, which recently landed at No. 47 on this 
year's Fortune Magazine Inner City 100, a list of the country's 100 
fastest-growing inner city businesses.
  Shandra Spicer, the company's president and CEO was recognized last 
year during Minority Enterprise Development Week as Minority Small 
Business Person of the Year for the Small Business Association's 
Buffalo District and Region II, including New York, New Jersey, and the 
U.S. Virgin Islands.
  S&W Contracting of Western New York was founded in 1999 by Shandra 
Spicer and her parents. They began as a small company that cleaned and 
painted units in Buffalo's Old First Ward area apartment complexes.
  About one decade later S&W had grown into a general construction 
contractor and commercial janitorial services company with 27 employees 
and revenue of 1.7 million. The company saw profits of $2.1 million in 
2010. At age 22, Shandra Spicer became the CEO and President of S&W 
Contracting, a testament to her maturity and strong business sense at a 
young age.
  In twelve years of business, S&W Contracting has secured some choice 
construction contracts, including work for Erie County Buffalo Public 
Schools and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
  Shandra Spicer graduated from the University at Buffalo all State 
Minority and Women Emerging Entrepreneurs program and LPCiminelli's 
Emerging Contractor Mentor Program; she regularly attends workshops at 
the Women's Business Center at Canisius College.
  Ms. Spicer advises other contractors to invest in their 
infrastructure, understand developers and their mission, and build 
relationships. S&W has clearly built relationships and put in the hard 
work necessary to secure contracts based on merit, a valuable message 
for any local business in today's economy.
  It is with great pride that I stand today to recognize the 
achievements of S&W Contracting, under the leadership of Shandra 
Spicer, an inspiration to our community.

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