Published on 06.12.2003 in the New Mexico Business Weekly Albuquerque Company Gets Top USDA Small-Business Honor Heather Harrison NMBW Staff Albuquerque-based Blue Skies Consulting LLC has been named the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) 2003 Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year. The USDA's Aerial Photography Field Office nominated the company. Blue Skies, which is currently located at the Albuquerque International Sunport, specializes in aerial photography for mapping and surveying. It also provides technical writing and electronic image scanning services. "An award like this validates that what we are doing is good," says Tami Wiggins, CEO of Blue Skies. "It's also a motivational tool to continue to do a good job and improve what we do." The five-person firm has performed numerous projects for USDA, the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management. Since the company's inception in 1999, it has seen an overall increase of 500% in sales revenues. Sales for the company's current fiscal year were not available by press time. Wiggins and President Michael Racine traveled to Washington, D.C., on June 5 to accept the award at an USDA ceremony. The company will complete construction of an 8,000-square-foot office and hangar complex at the Belen Alexander Airport by the end of the year. Once completed, Blue Skies will relocate its office to the new Belen location. © 2003 American City Business Journals Inc.