Submitted by GROW SOUTH DAKOTA

Hillarey Warner owner of HH Design in Britton, South Dakota, was selected to be the U.S. Small Business Administration’s South Dakota 2024 Young Entrepreneur of the Year, after being nominated by GROW SD.

After graduating from Northern State University with a BA in Advertising Design, Hillarey decided to return home and support the small community she grew up in. Hillarey began her business in 2014, in her home, but quickly realized she would need a much larger space to work in. She began leasing a small space on Main Street and eventually outgrew that as well. With her business growing quickly, she realized that she needed to expand her operations. In August 2016, with the help of a GROW SD loan, Hillarey purchased a building and moved her business. In 2018, she purchased an even larger building in downtown Britton, expanding her business further. After remodeling the larger building, HH Design moved into its new, much larger space and offered more in-house services. HH Design received additional loans from GROW South Dakota to help with the purchase of equipment in her new building. Hillarey has become a staple business in Britton providing screen-printing, embroidery, direct-to-garment printing, and graphic design, among many other services.

Hillarey is not only an essential part of Britton because of her business, but she is also looked to when the community is in need. In October 2019, a high school football player received a traumatic brain injury during a game. Fundraisers were held and HH Design produced over 1000 "Trevor Strong" t-shirts to support Trevor and his family; all of the profits from the shirts were donated to the family. HH Design began a fundraising campaign for local businesses called “Here for Good in Britton” during the COVID pandemic. HH Design also donates winter hats for the local coat drive sponsored by the local food pantry and items that are extras or “misprints” from orders to those in need. 

Hillarey continues to make positive impacts at the individual, local, and national levels. Being an entrepreneur is anything but easy, and Hillarey continues to balance giving back while uplifting other community causes, small businesses, and succeeding with her own business. Without Hillarey’s work ethic, spirit, leadership, and volunteering initiatives, her family, community, and state would not be the same. 

GROW South Dakota utilized many funding sources to finance HH Design such as the SBA Microloan, SBA ILP, USDA Rural Development (RD) Intermediary Relending Program, and the USDA RD Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program. “GROW South Dakota has a great partnership with the SBA and the USDA RD offices. By utilizing these resource, it allows GROW SD to help businesses with their financing needs,” stated Lori Finnesand, GROW SD CEO.

 For more information regarding GROW South Dakota’s business financing, call (605) 698-7654, visit www.growsd.org, or find us on Facebook. GROW South Dakota is an equal opportunity employer, lender, and provider.