Manchester Awning - Unwavering Commitment to Community

Marine Veteran Jeffery Nodden’s entrepreneurial journey exemplifies the purpose and success of SBA’s support of veterans on the path to entrepreneurship. Knowing he had the skills to succeed, Jeff, a U.S. Marine Corps Service-Disabled Veteran having served in the First Gulf War, purchased in 2004, Manchester Awning, with only 2 employees.

Manchester Awning today is a leader in manufacturing and retailer of custom awnings, architectural canopies’, shape structures and sewing – but this was not the case a few years ago! Facing cotton pricing volatility, supply chain disruptions and other small business COVID-19 pandemic impacts, Jeff reached out to Connecticut Small Business Development Center for assistance on how to grow Manchester Awning into a sustainable business. 

Manchester Awning has earned the reputation of providing excellent service and competitive pricing as well as offering the highest quality products. The team has grown from 2 employees to 14, tripled its physical location from 1,500sf to 5,000sf, all as a result of steady profitability and sales growth from $200,000 to $1.5 million.

Additionally, Jeff contributes time and resources to the Boy Scouts of America by manufacturing and donating shade structures, offering sewing repair services to the troops’ tents, and making welding repairs at the troop camp. He also contributes his services assembling and disassembling local Little League baseball dugout structures.

Jeff’s leadership, adaptability, work ethic and steadfast dedication to his team and stakeholders, and his unwavering commitment to his community earned Jeffrey Nodden, Manchester Awning the award of Connecticut’s SBA 2023 Veteran Owned Small Business of the Year.