SBA Honors ASCI Federal Services CEO

“I congratulate the more than fifty state and territory winners on their recognition,” says SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler, “and look forward to this week of education and appreciation for entrepreneurship as we highlight the small business owners who fuel prosperity, growth, and opportunity in communities across our country.”

ASCI has been providing supply chain and asset management consulting and services to commercial and government customers since 1999. Hopkins joined ASCI in 2013 and within six years was appointed president, adding the title CEO six months later. ASCI became a majority woman-owned business in 2021, when Hopkins upped her stake to 51 percent.

The federal contract in 2022, a first for ASCI, was a particular point of pride for Hopkins. “When you enter the federal contracting market, it takes two to five years to win your first contract, and it’s usually as a subcontractor,” she says. “We won our first as a prime contractor within that two-year period.” ASCI won a second contract to support a US Navy fleet readiness center and aircraft maintenance shop in North Carolina.

SBA previously recognized Hopkins in 2023 when she and her Alaskan peers were among the top cohorts graduating from the T.H.R.I.V.E. Emerging Leaders Reimagined executive-level training course.

Four Alaskans have been chosen as SBA Small Business Person of the Year for the last three years. In addition to The Waterworks owner Kali C. Bennett for 2024 and Amie Sommer, co-owner of building contractor Tutka, for 2023, the winner for Virginia in 2023 was Sharon Hamer, who launched Akiak Technology in the Bethel area and then established a headquarters in Alexandria.