Dr. Kelly Hunt of the Small Business Association’s Pittsburgh District presents the SBA’s army veterans award to proprietor Elissa Weimer, who’s accompanied by husband Steve Sentner.
An influential job awaited Elissa Weimer upon commencement from PennWest California. She was first in her class in legal justice and a profitable alternative was on the desk.
The provide was from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with which she had beforehand made an impression with the bureau’s Violent Drug and Gag Squad in Philadelphia as a paid intern.
First, nonetheless, Weimer needed to analyze the potential of beginning her personal business.
“My parents were so upset. They thought I wasted my degree,” Weimer mentioned Thursday morning, laughing exterior the places of work of Paw & Order Dog Training. “Now they’re so proud, they can’t stop talking about it to their friends.”
Weimer launched Paw & Order 11 years in the past and has nurtured it right into a regional success. She and her business had been honored Thursday because the Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year within the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Pittsburgh District. It was a really joyful thirty fifth birthday current.
Paw & Order trains dogs and their house owners, and gives in-home coaching, stay-and-train packages and group courses on the farm to native house owners.
Weimer operates the business together with her husband, Steve Sentner. They work on the 22-acre farm and coaching heart they personal within the Bulger part of Smith Township, the place they’ve a employees of 11. Weimer has 9 franchised areas in numerous states.
Dr. Kelly Hunt, the district director and a Washington County native and resident, introduced a plaque to Weimer acknowledging the distinction. It was made through the 61st
annual National Small Business Week.
Hunt and Weimer are army veterans, Hunt with the Air Force, Weimer with the Army National Guard. Weimer used the G.I. Bill to attend PennWest (previously California University of Pennsylvania).
“The skillset a veteran has is the same as a small business owner has,” Hunt mentioned.
“I enjoyed my six years in the military,” Weimer mentioned. “It helped me see things in a new way and make me realize I could do anything.”
Weimer mentioned she in the end needed to be a business entrepreneur, and enjoys the work. She and Sentner have resided on this gently rolling property for 3 years, a variety that when them – if it turned available. They moved in three years in the past.
“We used to live 10 minutes away (in Findlay),” Sentner mentioned. “We would look at this property as we drove past and felt ‘that’s our dream.’”
Dream turned actuality when the farm went available on the market.
Every canine has his or her day at Paw & Order, together with the 12 Weimer and Sentner personal. Their 22 acres are home to a literal menagerie, which additionally options two peacocks, two donkeys, cats, geese, pigs, a horse and two micro-cows.
Her profession has been quite a bit totally different than working for the FBI, nevertheless it has been richly rewarding – and fascinating.
