Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-ID), chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, has named Walsh Engineering Services in Idaho Falls, Idaho as the Small Business of the Month for October 2018. Walsh Engineering will be recognized in the Congressional Record of the U.S. Senate.

“Walsh Engineering Services is a woman-owned design and architectural engineering firm that provides high-quality technical and design services to customers throughout Idaho and around the country,” said Chairman Risch. “Since its founding, Stephanie Walsh has grown the company from a small group of dedicated engineers and designer-drafters, to a full-service engineering and architecture firm. She is an outstanding example of Idaho’s unique entrepreneurial spirit and is an inspiration to women entrepreneurs across the great state of Idaho. During National Women’s Small Business Month, I am pleased to honor a great woman-owned small business in Walsh Engineering.”

An Idaho Falls native, Stephanie Walsh graduated from the University of Idaho with a degree in mechanical engineering and returned home to work for Idaho National Lab (INL). While at INL, Stephanie recognized the emerging need for expert contractors, and in 2005 she founded Walsh Engineering Services. Owning her own business and working with INL as a contractor allowed her to continue to work to meet the needs of INL, as well as those of a growing Southeastern Idaho. Their clients have expanded over the years from INL to other DOE National Laboratories, the State of Idaho Department of Public Works, and fabrication firms located throughout the country. While Stephanie founded the company to support the changing needs of INL, Walsh Engineering Services is also focused on training the next generation of workers to continue the history of professionalism and success at INL. The firm not only offers jobs to recent graduates of Idaho universities but also develops the next generation of engineers through the firm’s internship program.

The Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship oversees proposed legislation on matters relating to entrepreneurship and provides oversight of the Small Business Administration. The committee also researches, investigates and reports all problems relating to America’s small businesses to the full Senate. As Chairman, Risch will honor America’s small businesses and entrepreneurs in the Senate each month.