KAREN VIBERT-KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette Patrick Snyder, CEO of CSSI, Inc., speaks during the ceremony awarding the company the SBA Eastern Pennsylvania Distrcit Office 2026 Small Blue-Collar Small Business of the Year.

Patrick Snyder held back tears of joy and appreciation as the CEO of a commercial boiler business near Muncy was honored with the U.S. Small Business Administration Eastern Pennsylvania Blue-Color Small Business of the Year award this week.

“With the team that we have we’re just getting started – it’s the tip of the iceberg,” said Snyder of CCSI Inc., 1059 John Brady Drive.

“To me the SBA is the embodiment of the American dream,” he said. “Where else can a factory worker go to own his own business, and that’s what the SBA provides – it’s an opportunity, and if you’re willing to put in the work and the blood and the sweat – they’ll take you there.”

“It’s an honor to be named SBA’s Eastern Pennsylvania Blue-Collar Small Business of the Year,” he said at the ceremony inside the business.

“With guidance from the Penn State Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and loans backed by the SBA, I’ve positioned CCSI for long-term growth for expanding critical regional infrastructure and services while maintaining quality, reliability, and the trust of my employees and customers.”

As a business, CCSI supports its community by providing boiler services at cost for churches, startup companies. and local schools.

The company also invests in the local workforce by providing skilled trade employment and on-the-job training in boiler service, welding, diagnostics, and safety compliance.

Today, the 25-year-old company is overseen by Snyder, who explained how he received assistance to navigate the acquisition process by turning to the Penn State SBDC.

This enabled the business to secure SBA 7(a) financing through M&T Bank to support the acquisition, allowing operations to continue without disruption, while retaining skilled employees.

The SBDC support has included business planning, financial analysis, and lender preparation maintaining service commitments to their clients.

Snyder congratulated his team at CCSI, Inc., naming each technician and giving a shout out to his family.

This is a blue-collar small business that Snyder purchased about three years ago from Jim Lazorka.

“This is three years in the making,” Snyder said, adding how the SBDC held his hand from start to finish.

It all started when he accidentally submitted his resume on Indeed. Lazorka saw it, and he said the two scheduled a meeting at a nearby Sheetz.

“We met there and that was when the whole thing kicked off,” Snyder said standing next to the team.

“I can’t begin to explain how many people went into this to make this a reality,” he said, adding how his mentor, Lazorka, was by his side from the very beginning.

“I could not ask for a better person to buy a business from,” he said, adding that mentorship put the company in a position to have the kind of success it is experiencing.

Since the ownership transition, CCSI’s annual sales and its workforce have increased, and it has also invested in modernizing their digital presence, as Snyder continues to work with the SBDC consultants.

SBA’s Eastern Pennsylvania Blue-Collar Small Business of the Year award winner is selected from nominees located across the 40 eastern counties of Pennsylvania. National Small Business Week.

“During National Small Business Week, we celebrate the entrepreneurs who are the backbone of our communities and the driving force behind our economy, states SBA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Jim Spencer.

“Across our region, small business owners continue to innovate, create jobs, and inspire the next generation. The U.S. Small Business Administration is proud to support their journey with the resources, capital, and counseling they need to succeed and grow.”

“It’s a privilege to recognize the achievements of successful entrepreneurs such as Patrick Snyder, CEO of CCSI,” said Steve Dixel, SBA Eastern Pennsylvania District Director. “Pat effectively used SBA financing and SBDC guidance to acquire and grow the business and create jobs, strengthening the local community.” Joining Dixel was Michael Kane, Deputy District Director, SBA Eastern Pennsylvania District Office.

“CCSI represents a strong example of how thoughtful ownership succession, mentorship, and technical assistance can preserve skilled-trades jobs, support critical infrastructure, and strengthen the local economy,” said nominator Chelsea Blair, Business Consultant, Penn State SBDC. “Pat continues to receive ongoing support from our SBDC, focusing on strengthening marketing strategy and business development initiatives.”

Several guest speakers included Tim Keohane, Director, Penn State SBDC; Jason Fink, president CEO, Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce; state Rep. Joe Hamm, R-Hepburn Township, Matt Wise, District Director for state Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Loyalsock Township and James May, Regional Director at the Office of U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas.

This is a developing story.

Penn State SBDC is a Resource Partner of the SBA. It helps businesses in Centre, Clinton, Lycoming and Mifflin counties start, grow, and prosper through no-cost confidential advising, educational programming, and specialized services to meet unique small business needs.