When Gwinnett County residents hire a veteran-owned business, they are supporting an economic community larger than many people realize. The report identifies 961 confirmed veteran-owned employer businesses operating in Gwinnett County and estimates that those firms collectively generate $2.9 billion in annual economic activity, support approximately 10,250 jobs, and pay an estimated $567 million in annual wages.
The community behind those figures is Gwinnett County's 37,754 veterans. The report estimates that, at a rate of roughly 1 in 38, veterans in the county have started businesses that now employ local workers and contribute to the county economy.
Nationally, veterans remain disproportionately entrepreneurial. The report cites SBA data showing that veterans represent 5.5% of all business owners despite making up 4.4% of the overall labor force. The report frames military service traits such as discipline, mission clarity, and accountability as relevant context for understanding veteran entrepreneurship.
The most urgent finding is the ownership trajectory. The veteran share of business ownership declined from approximately 16% in 2001 to 5.5% in 2022, a 70% decline over two decades. The report also notes that 53% of veteran business owners are over age 65, more than twice the 21% rate among non-veteran owners.
Those trends raise a succession concern. The report concludes that the businesses being created today are not replacing retiring veteran-owned businesses fast enough, making support for veteran-owned firms both a local economic issue and a community continuity issue.
For Gwinnett County residents, the data reframes what it means to choose a veteran-owned business. Companies such as Veterans Junk Removal are part of a shrinking but economically significant community that supports local jobs, generates local economic activity, and operates against a national ownership trend moving in the wrong direction.