Left to right:  Sandy Wanner, James City County Administrator; Jack Barnett, Owner of the Music Theatre; Kit Letchworth, Executive Vice President of Maximus, Inc., and Gil Bartlett, Chairman of the Economic Development Authority of James City County at the County's recent Small Business Recognition Event.

The James City County Board of Supervisors, Economic Development Authority, and Office of Economic Development hosted the County's fourth annual Small Business Recognition Event recently at The Music Theatre of Williamsburg. More than 60 representatives of small industrial, technical, and business service companies located in James City County attended.

In welcoming remarks, Sandy Wanner, James City County Administrator, noted that this event is one of an on-going series of efforts to recognize the contribution businesses of all types and sizes make to the community. "Because of their large number and local ties, small local businesses help shape the character of the community and influence the direction in which it moves," he said.

Kit Letchworth, local entrepreneur and Executive Vice President of Maximus, Inc., was the featured speaker. In 1994, Letchworth helped start the company in James City County that designed and wrote programs for smart cards. The company's product was subsequently selected by the Department of Defense for use for a number of military personnel functions. Extensive commercial applications are also possible. The cards are similar in size to a credit card, but contain a microchip embedded in them that can track and authorize an individual's transactions, like travel expenses and medical treatment. What began here as a home occupation seven years ago under the name 3GI was recently acquired by Maximus, Inc., which does over $450,000 worth of business a year.  Letchworth talked about the early days of starting the business, and about the rewards and pitfalls of growing a business.

Jack Barnett, owner of the office complex in which Maximus is located and also owner of The Music Theatre, added his support to the event by inviting those attending to be his guests for a performance of the spring show entitled The Beat Goes On.