Despite having created a multimillion dollar sandwich and bakery empire spanning 21 Ba-Le franchises in Hawaii, the store he runs himself and two soon to open in Japan, Thanh Quoc Lam is a modest man. Ba-Le owner wins
national SBA awardStar-Bulletin staff
His reaction in March to having been named Hawaii Entrepreneur of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration was characteristic.
"I try to not advise anyone. Just try your best, work hard, be honest and keep your word," he said. "I guess the best thing is to do what you love to do."
Still, it can't hurt to be recognized for a job well done.
Today the president of Ba-Le Inc. was named National Small Business Person of the Year in Washington, D.C. He was selected from among regional winners in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam for the 39th annual entrepreneurial award.
Lam opened his first Ba-Le shop in 1984, five years after arriving in the United States from a Malaysian refugee camp.
In the years since, he has created a retail chain specializing in Vietnamese-style sandwiches, pastries and noodle dishes. He wholesales baked goods and sandwiches to airlines, caterers, hotels, supermarkets and restaurants throughout the state. Lam has two stores opening in Nagoya, Japan, and dreams one day of taking Ba-Le to China.