Hoffman Honored with ‘Small Business Champion of the Year’ Award, Tours HatLaunch

COLLINSVILLE, Ill. – Recognizing his work to spark economic development and help small businesses succeed, state Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, was honored this week by Advantage Capital with a 2025 Small Business Champion of the Year Award.

“I’m grateful for this recognition, and am encouraged by the action we’ve been able to take in Springfield to support small businesses in the Metro East today and moving forward,” Hoffman said. “It starts with strong and engaging relationships with the local business community, and together we’ve been able to attract investment, create new jobs and build a brighter future. I also want to congratulate Sen. Belt for receiving this award as well. He’s been a great teammate and a tireless advocate for this community at the capitol.”

Advantage Capital’s Small Business Champion of the Year Award recognizes policymakers and leaders who advance policies that catalyze investment in businesses often overlooked by traditional capital. In particular, Advantage Capital highlighted Hoffman’s championing of the Illinois New Markets Development program.

Hoffman and state Sen. Christopher Belt, D-Swansea, received their awards during a tour this week of HatLaunch, a small business success story in Collinsville that started as side-hustle in 2018 and now operates at a local warehouse with 50 employees.

“It’s inspiring to see the incredible growth and success of HatLaunch,” Hoffman said. “They’ve already delivered 1 million custom hats, and it’s great to see them developing a strong local workforce. I wish them well and hope their trajectory continues to go higher and higher.”

For more information, please contact RepJayHoffman@gmail.com.