On a local level, St. Augustine's own Viv Helwig, the entrepreneurial mind behind Vested Metals International, has clinched the Small Business Person of the Year honor in the North Florida District, as announced by the Small Business Administration. St. Johns County officials have voiced their delight with the award, signaling the county's business-friendly environment and robust support systems for small enterprises.
Since its inception in 2014, Vested Metals International has seen rapid growth under Helwig's leadership, evolving from a modest operation to a global specialty metal supplier. The company's workplace has equally expanded from 100 to 40,000 square feet with the size of the team growing substantially, from the original solo founder to 27 dedicated employees. Vested Metals' special focus lies in servicing high-demand industries such as aerospace, medical, and defense sectors. Sara Maxfield, Director of the Economic Development Department lauded Helwig's achievement highlighting, "His company is a testament to our strong local economy and the capabilities of the small business support here in St. Johns County."
Helwig, in an official statement by the St. Johns County, emphasized the team effort behind the award, "We are grateful for the support of our community and customers, and we will continue to strive for excellence in all that we do. We truly couldn’t achieve this humbling milestone without the collaboration of our employees, suppliers, contractors, community, partners of any kind, and ultimately the opportunity our customers give us."
With an education from Flagler College and being a recipient of multiple awards, Helwig's past accolades include Minority-Owned Small Business Person of the Year in 2020, and North Florida and Florida Small Business Exporter of the Year in 2022. Despite current market uncertainties, Helwig remains optimistic and prepared to lead his company through eventual challenges, "Although we’ve been here before, it still takes navigating intentionally, and we feel that our experienced team is well-positioned to help our customers do just that," he said, signaling solid inventory strategies and a desire to support their customers cost-effectively while the market settles.
Vested Metals is equally active in charitable endeavors via The Vested Metals Community Foundation with aims to donate $1 million in 10 years through an annual golfing event. Community engagement remains integral to the company ethos, benefitting organizations like United Way of St. Johns County, THE PLAYERS Championship Boys & Girls Club, and K9s For Warriors. Helwig and his team demonstrate a commitment to not only economic growth but also to the welfare of the wider community.
