The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Fresno District Office announced Ty and Trudie Safreno, owners of Trust Automation Inc. of San Luis Obispo, have been selected as the 2013 Central California Small Business Person of the Year.

Ty and Trudie Safreno

Ty and Trudie Safreno

An award reception and presentation for Trust Automation will be held on June 17th at 3:00 p.m. at the business headquarters location, 143 Suburban Road, Building 100, San Luis Obispo with a tour of the Trust Automation facility to follow. For information regarding the award presentation, please contact Melende Ward at (559) 487-5791 X 2709.

Annually, SBA honors Central California entrepreneurs for their contributions to the economy. Small businesses have proven, year after year, to be the greatest sources of innovation, jobs and growth for California’s economy. Nominations are judged on seven basic criteria: staying power, growth in number of employees, increase in sales and/or unit volume, current and past financial reports, innovativeness of product or service, response to adversity and evidence of contributions to community-oriented projects.

The Small Business Person of the Year award recognizes a business owner who exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit and honors his or her individual contributions to the community. Trust Automation was selected after a stringent competition held amongst businesses located throughout the 15 Central California counties. The Economic Vitality Corporation of San Luis Obispo nominated Trust Automation for the award.

“The Small Business Administration is very proud of the tremendous growth and success that Trust Automation has achieved,” said Carlos G. Mendoza, District Director for the Fresno SBA Office. “This company serves as a role model for other small business entrepreneurs.”

From humble beginnings, Trust Automation was founded in San Luis Obispo in 1990 by Ty and Trudie Safreno and started as a Motion/Machine control consulting company. Ty and Trudie are both alumni of California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo and over the years have guided and evolved the company with increased sales, hiring of additional employees and customer contracts and in 1996 moving from a very modest 3,000 square foot warehouse to the 49,500 square foot facility they occupy now.

“In the early 1990’s we focused on consulting and surviving,” said Ty Safreno. “Long term goals and strategic planning with our trusted advisors and bank was not part of our daily or even monthly tasks. Thru the years your focus changes and you realize there is much more help available to small businesses than you thought.”

Fast forward to today and with the help of SBA financing, the business employs 63, operates out of their state of the art facility in San Luis Obispo and is a leader in the control of high precision electric motors and rugged power electronics. The high technology company offers a full array of services from base components for Original Equipment Manufacturers to designing and building entire sub-systems or machines from the ground up. Trust Automation has changed the overall functioning operation of many companies by designing state of the art electronics and software and providing next generation robotic platforms for industries worldwide including sales throughout the Northern Hemisphere and Asia.

“It is with great honor that the board of directors of the Economic Vitality Corporation congratulates Trust Automation on its 2013 Small Business of the Year award presented by the U.S. Small Business Administration.,” said Mike Manchak President of the Economic Vitality Corporation. “Its founders, Ty and Trudie Safreno, have worked hard to build a family-owned, small business that is the envy of many communities throughout the nation, while simultaneously raising a family, giving back to the community through non-profits, and growing a technology company. The company continues to thrive with its growing team of professionals and has become a model organization. On behalf of many in the community, we are grateful for the hard work and sacrifices that Ty and Trudie Safreno continue to make to help our local economy and their team.”

“In 1990 we never would have imagined our business being this successful,” the Safrenos said. “We are blessed with an amazing, dedicated, creative, and fun team of people to work side by side with. We are very grateful for everyone’s hard work, and consequently Trust Automation has an envious set of customers, who continue to ask us to expand, because they have experienced the kind of service, support and long term partnership we provide.”