At a White House ceremony on Tuesday, President Barack Obama recognized Andy Wells, a member of the Red Lake Nation who was named Minnesota’s Small Business Person of the Year by the Small Business Administration.

Wells started Wells Technology in 1989 with $1,300, Obama said. Last year, the company generated $54 million in revenues.

"You’re the job creators, responsible for half of all private sector jobs. You’re innovators, producing 13 times more patents per employee than large companies. You’re the starting point for the products and brands that have redefined the market," Obama told Wells and other award winners.

Obama praised Wells for "creating jobs near reservations" in northern Minnesota.

White House Transcript:
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT CEREMONY HONORING NATIONAL SMALL BUSINESS AWARD WINNERS (May 19, 2009)

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