News

Arlington, VA (December 7, 2020) – Blake Willson Group has been named to annual Vet100 list—a compilation of the nation’s fastest growing veteran-owned businesses. The ranking, created in partnership with Inc. magazine and Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF), was born out of the iconic Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies based in the U.S. Both distinctions are considered hallmarks of entrepreneurial success. Originally established as the Vet50 list, this year’s list is the third iteration expanded to include 100 veteran-owned businesses in acknowledgement of the growing culture and success of veteran entrepreneurs.

President & CEO of Blake Willson Group,  R.J. Blake, CPA, CGFM, shared, “Blake Willson Group is pleased to be ranked among the most successful veteran-owned businesses in the country. It was a honor to serve our country while on active duty and a privilege to support the federal government with our services now.” Andrew Griffin, CDFM, Sr. Vice President, added, “I believe that the commitment we have to our core values of diversity, integrity, reliability, and servant leadership allows us to receive such recognition.”

Earlier this year, Blake Willson Group once again earned a spot on Inc. magazine’s Inc. 5000 listing of fastest-growing private companies. BWG takes great pride in providing quality services to the government with our financial audit, advisory, and accounting related services, and in 2019 and 2020, the company achieved ISO 9001:2015 certification. ISO 9001 is the world’s most widely recognized quality management standard and helps businesses and organizations meet and exceed the expectations and needs of their customers and BWG’s certification further strengthens our qualifications to serve the federal government.

“Business growth is a real economic driver in this country and the fact is that most of the new jobs in the economy—over 87 percent—are created by private businesses,” says Eric Schurenberg, CEO of Mansueto Ventures, publisher of Inc. Magazine. “Veteran entrepreneurs contribute their share to the job story, employing over 5.5 million. They deserve to be recognized for their continued service to the country.”

“Military experience provides veteran entrepreneurs with skills and knowledge we know to be valuable in the business world,” said Mike Haynie, Syracuse University Vice Chancellor and IVMF Founder and Executive Director. “The growth of this year’s list is a hopeful and inspiring indication of how important and valuable veteran entrepreneurs are to our society and economy. These businessmen and women not only served in defense of our collective freedom and security, they now continue to serve by bettering the economies in their communities and across the country. We are proud to partner again with Inc. magazine and are grateful for their efforts to shine a spotlight on the success of veteran-owned businesses.”

Vet100 honorees will be formally recognized during the Vet100 Awards dinner at IVMF’s Veteran EDGE Conference, to be held in Dallas, TX, in October 2021. EDGE is the first-of-its-kind coalition of large companies supporting the success of veteran-owned businesses, connecting them with entrepreneurial education, training, resources, and networking opportunities.

For more information on the Inc. Vet100 list, visit: https://ivmf.syracuse.edu/Vet100/

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About Blake Willson Group

Blake Willson Group (BWG) is a licensed CPA firm with a skilled team of dynamic individuals dedicated to providing timely, cost-effective, and forward-thinking solutions to clients. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, BWG serves the Washington, D.C. metro area and beyond. The firm holds Department of VA-certified (CVE) Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) status, is an SBA 8(a) program participant, and is ISO 9001/2015 certified.

About Inc. and the Inc. 5000

Founded in 1979 and acquired in 2005 by Mansueto Ventures, Inc. is the only major brand dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies, with the aim to deliver real solutions for today’s innovative company builders. Total monthly audience reach for the brand has grown significantly from 2,000,000 in 2010 to over 20,000,000 today. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com/.
The Inc. 5000 is a list of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. Now in its 40th year, this prestigious list of the nation’s most successful private companies has become the hallmark of entrepreneurial success.

About Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families

Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) delivers no-cost career training and entrepreneurship programs across the US and globally. And we help ease the transition after service back into communities for service members, veterans and their families as well as prepare them for successful careers and business ownership. We’ve supported over 150,000 to date. It’s our mission to support theirs. For more information, visit ivmf.syracuse.edu and follow the IVMF on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.