List of Veteran-Owned Businesses in America

There are about 8 million veteran-owned businesses in America. Find a list of businesses & learn why you should support them.

According to the experts, nearly 30 million businesses in the United States are considered small businesses- with 8 million of those being classified as "diverse", including being a veteran-owned business.

In 2012, the Small Business Administration, or SBA, revealed that veteran-owned small businesses showed $1.14 trillion in receipts, employment of more than 5 million people, and a combined total payroll of $195 billion. Around 7.3% of those are disabled veteran-owned small businesses.

Throughout history, the federal government has supported these entities through various means. Corporate America now recognizes the importance of these small businesses being included in the supply chain.

What is a Veteran?

A veteran is an individual that served on active duty with the military- Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, or Coast Guard and was discharged/released for anything but dishonorable conditions. National Guard called into Federal Active Duty or disabled due to a disease/injury that occurred or was aggravated in the line of duty are also considered veterans.

What is a Veteran-Owned Business?

There are three types of veteran-owned business types:

• VBE: Veteran-Owned Business Enterprise  
• V-DOBE: Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Enterprise  
• SDV-DOBE: Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Enterprise

You may find that it's possible to get a secondary certification as an 8(a) business, which means you have been identified as a socially/economically disadvantaged individual/entity and will be given benefits if you qualify, including increased access to government contracts, education, and training.

How Can You Become a Veteran-Owned Business?

To be on the veteran-owned small business list, you must first receive a veteran-owned small business certification. Following, we'll take a detailed look at each veteran-owned business type.

Requirements for VBE Status

The requirements of a Veteran-Owned Business Enterprise status is as follows:

• 51%+ of the business must be owned by one or more veterans or service-disabled veterans.
• Veteran owners must have control over day-to-day operations. They must also have some managerial experience needed to manage the business and have the highest compensation (unless a lower compensation is beneficial to the business), work full-time, and exercise independent judgment over the business.

Requirements for V-DOBE Status

A Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Enterprise must follow all the requirements for a Disability-Owned Business Enterprise, as well as:

• 51%+ owned, operated, managed, and controlled by a veteran. However, the disability is not related to their service to the United States military.

Requirements for SDV-DOBE Status

When it comes to the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Enterprise, the federal government limits the competition for certain contracts.

If you qualify for SDV-DOBE status, your business will be eligible to compete for the contracts set aside for this program.

To register as an SDV-DOBE, the following criteria must describe your business:

• 51%+ of business is owned/controlled by 1 or more service-disabled veterans  
• Be a small business  
• Have 1+ service-disabled veterans manage day-to-day operations and make decisions.
• Injury/disability must have been sustained during the veteran’s service to the United States military.

List Of Veteran Owned Businesses

Below are just a few of the many veteran-owned businesses across the USA.

Dashfire Beards

Dashfire Beards specialize in producing beard oil/grooming products made with natural ingredients. They offer three different beard oil scents and a branded wooden comb.

This is a veteran-owned company designed by a U.S. Marine serving as a Plane Captain for 5 years.

Doc Spartan

Doc Spartan is a veteran-owned company producing natural grooming products, including deodorants, skincare, soaps, scrubs, and even pet care. They also have a line of apparel and combat-ready ointment.

The brand was created by Dale, a veteran who worked on Foreign Internal Defense in Iraq to mentor local forces. Because of the brave veteran and his team, locals could take on responsibility for their own protection. He also helped develop a plan to aid people in recovery from drug addiction in 2018. Today, he runs Doc Spartan, originally created to heal wounds with combat-ready ointment.

Heroes Vodka

Heroes Vodka produces 100% American grain vodka. Their mission is to provide exceptional flavor and superior value to honor heroes that serve, protect, and work in our communities. A significant portion of every purchase is donated to American Veterans, Active-Duty Military, and their families.

This company was started by a Marine Corps veteran, Travis McVey in 2009. He served as a Presidential Honor Guard between 1989-1992. After experiencing a tragedy in the War Against Terror in Afghanistan, Travis realized his American Dream of owning a business that would help him serve his country and get veterans the care they deserve. The first bottling was on Veteran’s Day, 11/11/11.

K9 Salute

As the name suggests, K9 Salute is a veteran-owned company producing all-natural dog treats. Flavors offered by the company are coconut cranberry, freeze dried lamb liver, roasted duck with carrots, and peanut butter. All ingredients are locally sourced from veteran-owned farms.

This veteran-owned small business was founded by Jessica Harris, a retired Combat Medic in 2016. She wanted to honor the K-9 heroes that served. To help, proceeds are donated to police and military K-9 units for supplies such as protective vests for the dogs. The proceeds are also used to assist military veterans in obtaining service dogs.

Black Rifle Coffee Company

This is a veteran-owned specialty coffee company. They import and roast high-quality coffee beans and ship the products directly to their customers. If you’re not a fan of coffee, they do offer some great apparel and gear. Also, every purchase helps give back to the veteran, law enforcement, and first responders community.

Black Rifle Coffee was founded by Evan Hafer, Mat Best, Jarred Taylor, and Richard Ryan.

Bottle Breacher

This veteran-owned company is known for designing bottle openers from decommissioned .50-caliber bullets. They also have some other great, unique and personalized gifts that will get people talking.

Bottle Breacher is owned by former Navy SEAL, Eli Crane and his wife, Jen. They often hire veterans and give back to numerous military and veteran non-profits.

Shop Westhouse

This company offers curated gifts including custom t-shirts, décor, and more. There are also many gift boxes available for all ages. They are thoughtfully put together and ready for gifting.

Shop Westhouse was founded by Serena, a spouse of a veteran. Knowing the importance of community and connections, she supports many small businesses and dreams of employing many military spouses.

Hope Design Ltd.

Hope Design Ltd. is also a military spouse owned company. Their passion is history and vintage jewelry. They started by selling rings, necklaces, brooches, cufflinks, and bracelets for every branch of the US military. Each jewelry piece has meaning and symbolism behind every part.

The small business is owned by Lauren Hope, the wife of a soldier. Being a military spouse, it’s hard to find employment with the numerous moving around. To adapt and help the family financially, Lauren started Hope Design Ltd. She’s a mom during the day and a business-owner at night.

Looking to Hire a Veteran for Your Small Business?

Suppose you are interested in hiring a veteran for your small business, or also wanting to help support veterans by employing them. In that case, Advantis Government Solutions employs veterans and has an extensive network of veteran candidates to diversify your company. Allow us to handle the hiring for you.