CANTON – A rapidly growing Akwesasne construction company is being recognized by the SUNY Canton Small Business Development Center (SBDC) as the 2024 Growth Company of the Year. AM Equipment, LLC, owned by Andre White, will be presented with the award on Thursday, Sept. 26, in Akwesasne.
White was selected from more than 23,000 SBDC clients served in 2023 by 22 centers across New York State.
AM Equipment was founded by White in 2009 on the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation of Akwesasne as a small, one-person operation specializing in concrete work. In 2016, White hired his first part-time employee and, in 2019, expanded operations to Massachusetts, becoming a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) heavy and highway contractor in that state. The company has now grown into a full-service construction company working in all aspects of commercial and residential installation, from the design stage to handing over the keys. AME offers site work, concrete work, full-service building construction, road construction, and utility construction in Massachusetts and New York.
Over the past two years, AME has grown exponentially. The company now employs more than 25 people and is on track to reach record sales this year. The company recently received MBE certification from the National Minority Supplier Development Council. White was also selected as a finalist for the 2024 Contractor of the Year award by Equipment World, which examines contractors' references, business acumen, equipment management practices, attention to safety and community involvement.

White has worked with SUNY Canton SBDC advisor Michelle Collins since 2011. The SBDC helped with seeking early-stage funding, pursuing procurement opportunities and minority certifications, accessing COVID funding and most recently, planning and resources for growth.
New York SBDC State Director Sonya Smith will be on hand to present the award to White, along with Collins and staff from the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe's Office of Economic Development.