Thomas Daschle: “I want to share a story of how one South Dakota family turned their vision and entrepreneurial drive into a thriving…”

“I want to share a story of how one South Dakota family turned their vision and entrepreneurial drive into a thriving business. "We had one press, one employee, and zero customers." That statement tells the story of the beginning of Labelcrafters of South Dakota, Inc., the Sioux Falls-based company honored by the Small Business Administration. Del and Janice Buttolph started Labelcrafters in 1987 and 9 years later are being named the South Dakota Small Business Persons of the Year. They manufacture pressure-sensitive labels for a variety of manufacturers in the four-State region. The Buttolphs met with me here in Washington, DC, during Small Business Week. That statement about their beginning is indicative of the risk-taking, entrepreneurial spirit, and dedication small business owners like Del and Janice Buttolph bring to a business startup. I know from my discussions with them that they brought great talent and experience to this venture. The Labelcrafter motto is "Quality and Service--Our Priority." Acting on this motto has resulted in growth to 27 employees and three state-of-the-art presses with a fourth on the way. In fact, they plan on expanding into a larger building next year. We all strive to learn the ingredients of a successful business startup. Besides their commitment to quality and service, I was most impressed by their commitment to treating their employees well.”