Local Business Owner Receives National Small-Business Award for Growth
DAYTON, Ohio — Nov. 25, 2025 — A Dayton-based industrial technology manufacturer has been named the National Small Business Person of the Year in the Growth Category by the U.S. Small Business Administration, honoring exceptional performance across revenue expansion, job creation, and operational scaling during the 2022-2024 measurement period.
Rachel Torres, founder and CEO of PrecisionFlow Industries, received the award during the SBA’s National Small Business Week ceremony in Washington, D.C., on May 7, 2025. The recognition places her company among an elite group of U.S. small businesses that have demonstrated sustained growth rates exceeding national economic benchmarks while maintaining community impact and operational resilience.
Selection criteria for the SBA’s Growth Category award require businesses to demonstrate employee growth exceeding Gross Domestic Product expansion over a three-year period, alongside documented increases in sales, net profit, and net worth from 2022 through 2024. Nominees must also exhibit staying power through facility expansion, territory additions, or export development, while showing measurable contributions to community-oriented projects. According to the SBA’s official evaluation framework, judges weight these factors equally, with particular emphasis on how businesses respond to industry adversity and leverage innovative practices to scale operations . Torres’s nomination package, submitted by the Ohio Small Business Development Center, highlighted how PrecisionFlow met each benchmark through strategic capital investments and workforce development initiatives.
PrecisionFlow Industries, founded in 2018, produces automated fluid control systems for agricultural and chemical processing applications. From its baseline 2022 metrics, the company expanded from 18 to 47 employees—a 161 percent increase that far outpaced the cumulative 12.3 percent GDP growth during the same period. Revenue climbed from $2.4 million to $8.7 million, representing a 263 percent gain, while net profit margins improved from 8.5 percent to 14.2 percent through operational efficiency gains. The company’s net worth tripled from $1.1 million to $3.3 million, driven by retained earnings and a $1.2 million SBA 504 loan that financed a 42,000-square-foot facility expansion in Dayton’s industrial corridor. Torres also established a supplier diversity program that now sources 34 percent of raw materials from minority-owned and women-owned enterprises across Ohio and neighboring states.
The award comes at a time when small business recognition carries documented commercial advantages. Research from the British Quality Foundation shows award-winning companies average 41 percent revenue growth compared to non-recognized peers, while 75 percent of consumers demonstrate preference for award-winning brands when making purchasing decisions. Additionally, 80 percent of employees report higher motivation levels when working for recognized organizations, contributing to improved retention rates and productivity metrics.
Torres credits the company’s growth to a targeted pivot during the 2020-2021 supply chain disruption, when PrecisionFlow invested $450,000 in vertical integration capabilities, including in-house CNC machining and electronic assembly lines. This move reduced lead times from 16 weeks to 21 days, allowing the company to capture market share from larger competitors struggling with overseas supplier delays. The company also launched a tuition reimbursement program in partnership with Sinclair Community College, funding advanced manufacturing certifications for 23 employees, which reduced turnover to 6 percent annually—well below the industry average of 18 percent for manufacturers.
Beyond commercial metrics, Torres demonstrated community commitment by allocating 2 percent of annual profits to STEM education initiatives in Dayton Public Schools, funding robotics programs at three Title I high schools. She serves on the Dayton Regional Manufacturers Association board and mentors five early-stage entrepreneurs through the Miami Valley Women’s Business Center. During the March 2025 Ohio River flooding, PrecisionFlow donated $50,000 in emergency pump systems to affected agricultural operations and provided paid volunteer time for employees to assist with local relief efforts.
Quote from Rachel Torres, Founder and CEO, PrecisionFlow Industries:
“Receiving this recognition validates what our team has built through relentless focus on solving real problems for our customers. We didn’t scale by chasing growth for its own sake—we grew by investing in people, controlling our supply chain, and staying rooted in Dayton’s manufacturing legacy. This award belongs to our 47 employees who show up every day committed to building something that matters, and to the SBA resource partners who helped us navigate capital access when traditional banks saw only risk.”
PrecisionFlow Industries employs 47 full-time workers at its Dayton facility, with average compensation 22 percent above county median wages for manufacturing roles. The company ranks in the top decile of Ohio’s 23,000 small manufacturers for revenue growth rate and employee retention. Torres, a first-generation American and former aerospace engineer, holds six patents in fluid dynamics technology and was named to the Dayton Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” list in 2024. The company plans to add 15 additional positions in 2026 and is evaluating export opportunities in Canadian and Mexican agricultural markets.
The SBA’s National Small Business Week recognizes contributions from America’s 36 million small businesses, which account for 99 percent of all U.S. businesses and employ roughly half the private workforce.
About PrecisionFlow Industries
PrecisionFlow Industries is a Dayton, Ohio-based manufacturer of automated fluid control systems for agricultural and chemical processing sectors. Founded in 2018, the company specializes in custom-engineered solutions that improve efficiency and reduce waste for industrial clients across the Midwest. PrecisionFlow is certified as a woman-owned small business and maintains ISO 9001 quality standards.
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