Tyler Smith graduates from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program

Press release

WELLESLEY, Mass. — Havre, Montana, business owner Tyler Smith and 151 other students graduated from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program — 10KSB — earlier this month.

Smith and his classmates were selected from a group of almost 800 applicants.

The 10KSB program, launched in 2009 by Goldman Sachs and the Goldman Sachs Foundation, is based at Babson College in Wellesley. The goal of the program is to aid 10,000 small businesses through education and mentorship. Nationally, the program has about 7,600 graduates in every facet of business.

“I’m extremely honored to be in this program,” Smith said. “It can be quite intimating when you are included in a class of this caliber. However, no matter where the class members came from, we faced lots of the same challenges including labor, market and taxes. Our group was open and offered many suggestions to our collective problems. I found this to be one of the most rewarding professional development experiences in which I have participated.”

Smith now joins the ranks of 10KSB Alumni in which Montana has an impressive per capita showing — 175 scholars.

“Tyler is a consummate construction professional with a keen sense for industry trends and innovation development. I’m excited to see how his company grows and expands over the next five years,” said Sabrina R. Merritt, 10KSB classmate and founder and president of October Social Media.

Smith is the principal in two local businesses. He is a second-generation owner of Lakeside Excavation Inc. and owns Rock Solid Materials. His companies belong to the Montana Contractors’ Association, and he serves as president of the MCA Education Foundation, chairman of the MCA Concrete Division, chairman of the Hill County Fair Board, and is a member of the local Lions Club.