Local entrepreneur John Harnage wins Kentucky SBA Small Business of the Year

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — John Harnage, owner of Kentucky Thermal Institute, has been named the 2026 Small Business Person of the Year for Kentucky by the U.S. Small Business Administration, one of the nation’s highest honors for small business leadership.

According to a release by the WKU Innovation Campus, this recognition coincides with National Small Business Week in May.

The release further states Harnage is invited to attend the National Small Business Week Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C. from May 3-4.

During the event, one individual will be selected as the National Small Business Person of the Year.

“I am incredibly honored to receive this recognition from the SBA,” Harnage said. “This achievement reflects the dedication of our entire team, the loyalty of our customers, and the support of our local community. We are proud to represent Kentucky on a national stage.”

For more than 60 years, the SBA has recognized outstanding entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence in business growth, innovation, and community impact.

According to the release, Harnage was selected “for his leadership, resilience, and meaningful contributions to the local economy.” Kentucky Thermal Institute is based at the Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus in Bowling Green.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our community,” said Julie Milam, executive vice president of Partnership Services for the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce. “We are incredibly proud of John and the Kentucky Thermal Institute team for this well-deserved honor. Their success story is a powerful example of what is possible through hard work, vision, and community partnership.”

“We have been honored to not just watch the Kentucky Thermal Institute grow, but to support John Harnage as he has become a leader in our region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem,” said Jeff Hook, executive director of the Central Region Ecosystem for Arts, Technology, and Entrepreneurship, one of the six KY Innovation Hubs operated by the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development.

“This community and this ecosystem are focused on supporting entrepreneur-led collaboration, and John embodies that spirit.”