Assemblyman Das Williams, D-Carpinteria, has selected Allen Construction of Santa Barbara as the Small Business of the Year.
This honor is part of the California Small Business Association’s annual Small Business of the Year Celebration, which took place in Sacramento last week.
“Allen Construction has been a pioneer in the green building movement,” Williams said. “As a truly progressive, employee-owned company, Allen Construction strives to protect our precious environment bringing energy efficient construction and renewable energy building solutions to our district and beyond. I am also proud of the fact that they installed electric vehicle charging stations at their Santa Barbara office to help further reduce carbon emissions.”
Dennis Allen, founder and chairman of the board for Allen Construction, began his career in the late 1970s with a passion for solar energy and using resources wisely. He remains active by serving on the boards of the Community Environmental Council and Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, as well as the Dean’s Council at UC Santa Barbara’s Bren School.
Allen has transitioned Allen Construction into a thriving employee-owned company with more than 120 employees and offices in Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez, Ventura and Los Angeles.
“It was an honor to be recognized by Assemblyman Williams for the 2015 California Small Business Award and have the opportunity to be a part of the ceremony in Sacramento,” Allen said. “I was so impressed by the diversity of the other award recipients — their age, ethnicity and types of business. To feel the vibrancy of our legislators, our economy and the cultural richness of California made a significant impression on me.”
Green buildings are only a part of the bigger picture for Allen Construction, which has expanded its business into five divisions since their founding. By offering services like energy audits and donating built-to-ship homes in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Allen Construction has ensured that their beneficial impact is wide reaching.
— Lourdes Jimenez is the chief of staff for Assemblyman Das Williams.