On June 15, 2016 Dr. Robert L. Wallace was awarded the “Unsung Hero Award” at Small Business Association’s Award Ceremony Luncheon. He received the award due to his unique approach to addressing economic hardships that loomed ahead of BITHGROUP Technologies during the crash of 2008. Wallace was able to shift focus to new ventures, rather than lay off employees. This dynamic idea gave birth to Bithenergy, now one of Baltimore’s leading Renewable Energy Companies. Below is an excerpt from the letter to the Small Business Association, nominating Wallace for the award.
Since I began my tenure in 2004 I have watched Mr. Wallace lead our company and other small business leaders through many storms. Wallace is consistently ahead of the curve. In difficult times when other small businesses faith is failing he has a knack for knowing the precise moment to turn the corner and point our company into a new and exciting direction. He calls it a “pivot point”.
When the U.S. economy began to spiral fear struck a lot of small businesses. Our phones began to ring off the hook from small business owners seeking wisdom and guidance from Mr. Wallace. Robert encouraged each and every business owner to ride out the storm. He inspired them to find their niche, stay focused, and operate in excellence. Our company was not exempt. We were faced with some of the same issues as the other small businesses, however, Robert pivoted and introduced new lines of business in the areas of energy and biometrics to our team. Both areas of business proved to be very lucrative not only for our company but for the community in the area of job creation.