ArtWare owner Jennifer Megliore wins state business honor

Jennifer Megliore, the owner of ArtWare on Hilton Head Island, was named South Carolina’s Small Business Person of the year for 2023.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced March 14 this year’s Small Business Person of the Year winners – more than 50 outstanding small business owners and entrepreneurs from across the United States – ahead of National Small Business Week.

ArtWare was founded in 2000 when Megliore left the corporate event industry to start her own small business, which offers unique and South Carolina Lowcountry-inspired gifts.

AertWare is also the first store in the country to be named a Queen Bee Store in partnership with the Savannah Bee Company. The store is located in Shelter Cove Towne Centre.

“I’m so humbled and thrilled to be named the South Carolina’s Small Business Person of the Year,” Megliore said. “Being a small business owner runs in my family, and I’m proud to carry the tradition. I am blessed to be a cheerleader for the 33 million Americans like me who own, or work for, a small business.”

“We are so proud the South Carolina Small Business Person of the Year is our very own Jennifer Megliore,” said Bill Miles, president and CEO of the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce. “ArtWare has been an active member of our chamber for 20 years, and a valuable asset to our community.”

Each year, the SBA celebrates National Small Business Week by recognizing the achievements of outstanding small business owners and entrepreneurs across the United States.

All winners will be recognized during the National Small Business Week awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on April 30 and May 1.

To learn more about National Small Business Week, visit sba.gov/nsbw.