Rachel Dahl
Fallon’s small business community is getting a moment in the spotlight in honor of National Small Business Week. The Nevada District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced its 2025 Small Business Award winners, and Fallon’s own Tanner Huckaby, owner of Squish’s Pressure Washing LLC, has earned the title of Young Entrepreneur of the Year.
If you’ve seen a freshly cleaned storefront or a gleaming semi-truck rolling down Highway 50 lately, chances are Tanner "Squish" Huckaby had something to do with it. Now, the hometown entrepreneur is receiving well-deserved recognition.
Squish’s Pressure Washing, launched in August 2021, has earned Huckaby the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award from the SBA’s Nevada District. He will be honored alongside other statewide small business leaders at the SBA’s 2025 Small Business Awards luncheon on May 9 in Las Vegas.
Kelli Kelly, a small business counselor at the Small Business Development Center in Fallon who has supported Huckaby, praised his dedication. “I was not, in the least bit, surprised when Tanner was named Nevada's Young Entrepreneur of the Year by the Small Business Administration. Tanner is a driven small business owner who embodies the entrepreneurial spirit. He is resourceful, resilient, and self-motivated—consistently looking for innovative ways to improve and diversify his services. I am so proud of Squish and all that he has accomplished,” she said.
"I started with a hose, a dream, and the stubborn Huckaby work ethic passed down from my great-grandpa Elmer," Squish said.
That determination shows in every job, from pressure-washing storefronts and semi-trucks to soft-washing homes and cleaning heavy equipment. Squish’s Pressure Washing operates year-round, but business picks up when warmer weather arrives and RVs, boats, and trucks emerge from winter storage. Huckaby has built a reputation for tackling tricky projects, window cleaning, oversized machinery, and specialty jobs that others often turn down.
When he's not power-washing Northern Nevada into a sparkling shine, Squish helps with his family’s multigenerational business, Huck Salt, and runs his own farm, continuing the agricultural tradition started by his great-great-grandfather Henry Huckaby in 1925.
“The ingenuity of small businesses drives the economy across the great state of Nevada,” said Saul Ramos, Nevada SBA District Director. “By fueling free enterprise, and with grit and determination, entrepreneurs create jobs, families are given a better life, and whole communities are transformed. This is an occasion to recognize trailblazing individuals.”
This year’s SBA awards highlight a range of Nevada’s entrepreneurial successes. Along with Squish, honorees include:
• Small Business Persons of the Year: Kristen Corral-Marin, Carlos Corral-Marin, Daniel Simmons, and Regina Simmons of Tacotarian, Las Vegas
• Woman Owned Small Business of the Year: RENUoil of America, Inc., Las Vegas
• Family Owned Small Business of the Year: La Vecindad, Las Vegas
• Microenterprise Small Business of the Year: Path To Publishing, Las Vegas
• Veteran Owned Small Business of the Year: John’s Spring and Suspension LLC, Reno
• Legacy Small Business of the Year: Undercover Productions Inc., Las Vegas
• Rural Owned Small Business of the Year: KADRI Clothing, Wells
• Entrepreneurial Spirit Awards: Kathleen Taylor and Janet D. Hartley
• Exporter of the Year: Abingdon Co., Las Vegas
• 8(a) Graduate of the Year: S&B Christ Consulting, Las Vegas
Since 1953, the SBA has supported small businesses across the country, helping them start, grow, expand, and recover. The SBA’s annual awards recognize outstanding entrepreneurs who drive economic growth, create jobs, and strengthen their communities.
For Squish, it’s never just about clean surfaces. It’s about honoring family roots, staying connected to the community, and building something lasting—one wash at a time.
Congratulations to Tanner Huckaby for continuing the Fallon legacy of small business and standout entrepreneurs. He joins the distinguished ranks of Lattin Farms and Kent’s Supply Center, who have also been honored by the SBA over the years.
Comment
Comments