When Rachael and Joseph Culbertson started Culbertson Contracting in 2021, the couple knew they had the work ethic to succeed; they just needed the right roadmap. Now, thanks to a transformative partnership with Old Dominion University through its Women’s Business Center, the Suffolk-based company has been named Virginia’s Blue-Collar Small Business of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
The award, presented during a ceremony last month at the company’s headquarters, recognizes outstanding small businesses in skilled trades and construction industries that demonstrate business success, innovation, resilience and community impact. While the SBA has been recognizing small businesses in the Virginia District since 1963, this is the first time the organization has created an award specifically for blue-collar businesses in the district.