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Marlin Steel Wire Products
Baltimore
Maryland
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President and CEO
Drew Greenblatt
Taxes
We want to hire more people, we want to grow, grow, grow. That can only happen with a bold tax reform plan.
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President and CEO
Drew Greenblatt
International Trade and Investment
It is imperative that Congress and the White House start to craft bipartisan deals that provide more trading opportunities, so that we can hire more people. Washington needs to realize that every time we get another order overseas, we can hire another unemployed steel worker in Baltimore. The bottom line is that we need to grow jobs in America, and that's going to happen because of trade.
Marlin Steel on Faces of Trade
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President and CEO
Drew Greenblatt
Economic Growth
Free enterprise creates freedom for Americans to lead a life that's productive, to spend time with their family, to have rational health insurance, and to have a good life. We need capitalism in our country. It creates wealth. It creates opportunity. And that creates progress. Our country needs good policies so people can thrive.
Lucigen Corporation
Middleton
Wisconsin
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Director, Global Sales & Distribution
Glaselyn Miller
International Trade and Investment
We need Washington to make free trade agreements that level the playing field in foreign markets. America is at a competitive disadvantage with countries where we do not have free trade agreements. It's clear to us that without international trade, our sales would not be where they are today.
Lucigen on Faces of Trade
Runkle Consulting
Alexandria
Virginia
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Owner
Jen Runkle
Education
One of the things I think about with regard to the future is making sure that my nieces are growing up in a world where they're getting the same opportunities and the same understanding of the business landscape. It's going to be in 2030 and 2040 when they're out there making their own entrepreneurial decisions. Is Washington really thinking about them and their future and what the business landscape is going to look like for women in small business?
Strauss Surgical Group
Chicago
Illinois
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Owner
Dr. Herb Sohn
Regulatory Reform
The biggest barrier we have is regulations. Recently, the government has intruded on us with regulations, and we now have to spend an inordinate amount of time on the telephone, talking to someone that has no understanding what the practice of medicine is about, but they’re telling us what to do. We’re spending too much time filling out paperwork, where we could be spending that time growing our business.
Kent Displays, Inc.
Kent
Ohio
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CEO
Dr. Albert Green
International Trade and Investment
When our business grows because of trade, more people get hired, and there are more jobs. We look at Free Trade Agreements like NAFTA as being critically important for our ability to bring our products to market overseas. We believe in free trade and think free trade agreements as helping open new markets and support our growth by reducing tariffs and making our products more affordable.
Kent Displays on Faces of Trade
CMD
Appleton
Wisconsin
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President
Stephen Sakai
International Trade and Investment
Much of CMD’s recent growth can be attributed to additional international business, and it is no surprise that the right free trade agreements could have a great effect on our machine sales. The reduction or elimination of high tariffs would significantly foster the growth of our machine sales in key markets globally.
CMD on Faces of Trade
Ventura Uniform Service
Kenner
Louisiana
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Owner
Ray Ventura
Regulatory Reform
My biggest challenge is the growing number of regulations coming from the federal government, mainly from OSHA and the NLRB. These regulations seem to strangle businesses today.
Draper
Spiceland
Indiana
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International Regional Manager
Nate LaMar
International Trade and Investment
We are the largest private-sector employer in Henry County, Indiana. If our export department can grow, so, too, can jobs in East-Central Indiana--an area hard-hit by the loss of the automotive industry. We currently owe more than 50 of our jobs to international trade, and we would like to be able to export our products more easily, but we need Washington to focus on negotiating more trade agreements to create a spirit of ease when working with these emerging markets.
Draper on Faces of Trade
Scopelitis Transportation Consulting
Washington
District Of Columbia
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President and CEO
Dave Osiecki
Infrastructure
We must focus on the economy and creating good-paying American jobs. One of the best ways to create near-terms jobs and long-term economic prosperity is to invest in our infrastructure. Transportation infrastructure should be central to any economic program and creating ways to fund such a program will be critical to its success.
Hercules Transport
Choudrant
Louisiana
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President
Tom O'Neal
Education
In Louisiana, we have a 35 plus percent adult illiteracy rate. I can't hire people that can't read, write, or do simple arithmetic for the jobs in my company. We must continue to strive for excellence in education to lower the illiteracy rate. It's common sense—you teach a child to read and you can change his or her life.
DHD Films
Dallas
Texas
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President
Hussain Manjee
Taxes
Tax reform will help our business, because it would give us more money that can be reinvested into our people. For us, we want to be constantly investing in our people and their education, so that their skills are getting better. With tax reform, I think we'll be able to hire more, and we’ll also be able invest more in the people that we currently have.
Auburn Leather
Auburn
Kentucky
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Vice President, Business Development
Ida Elliott
International Trade and Investment
We have seen the positive effects that free trade agreements can bring to a company firsthand. Through assistance from the Export Import Bank and the U.S. Department of Commerce, we have been able to have success in the global economy, but we need to see even more growth, and we will do this by urging Washington to eliminate barriers to trade.
Auburn Leather on Faces of Trade
Meunier Carlin & Curfman LLC
Atlanta
Georgia
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Founding Partner
Chris Kurfman
Regulatory Reform
Free enterprise means equal opportunity for whoever wants to enter the business market. It means equal opportunity to succeed, but it also means equal opportunity to fail. It’s about survival of the fittest and not having government regulations favor one sector over the other.
Highland Landscaping
Dallas
Texas
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President and Owner
Ian Maclean
Health Care
The number one thing that the next president can do for small business is repeal Obamacare. It's a tremendous burden to all industries, and my contacts in the medical industries also report a decline in the quality of healthcare for those enrolled.
Rehab 2 Perform
Frederick
Maryland
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Owner
Dr. Josh Funk
Taxes
The biggest thing that Washington can do to help a company like ours is to provide a little bit more stability and clarity with regards to issues like taxes and health care. I think knowing what you're getting yourself into and knowing that there's going to be some level of permanence is very, very important to small businesses, so that we can feel comfortable growing our companies.
Loftus Plastic Surgery Center
Fort Wright
Kentucky
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Owner
Jean Loftus
Economic Growth
Economic growth is and should always be the top priority for Washington, because everything stems from that. When we have a vibrant economy, we have people that are employed, we have dollars that are being reinvested, and we have businesses that are growing. I think that not just my business, but every business, will grow and thrive when the economy grows and thrives. Economic growth is what it's all about.
Ellicott Dredges
Baltimore
Maryland
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CEO
Peter Bowe
International Trade and Investment
Our message to Washington is very simple: We need to have open doors where we're selling. Don't be afraid to trade and look beyond our borders; instead, create strong trade deals so businesses like Ellicott Dredges can be more competitive.
Ellicott Dredges on Faces of Trade
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CEO
Peter Bowe
Infrastructure
Whether it's a road, a port or an airport, more infrastructure investment will be good for everyone, boosting jobs and the economy.
SearchPros Solutions
Citrus Heights
California
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President
Myla Ramos
Regulatory Reform
Seventy percent of our country’s economic and job growth is driven by small businesses. But all of these new constraints are making us not want to hire, and it's creating bigger problems for our country. So please, listen to entrepreneurs, and reduce regulatory barriers to growth.
SearchPros Solutions Named 2016 Dream Big Winner
Dippin' Dots
Paducah
Kentucky
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Vice President of Operations
Stan Jones
International Trade and Investment
Lawmakers should know that there would be significantly more jobs in Paducah if we had a higher volume of international growth, but that can only happen if Washington opens the door to trade. The rest of the world is too big of a market to ignore, and everyone should have the opportunity to taste our unique product.
Dippin Dots on Faces of Trade
Euclid Systems Corp
Herndon
Virginia
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Chairman and CEO
Dr. Mike Ross
International Trade and Investment
Euclid has seen a direct 50 percent growth year over year because of exporting, and we can attribute 95 percent of our jobs to trade. We would not be the company that we are today if it was not for trade's positive impact on our job creation and revenue growth. we have quadrupled revenues in the last few years due to exporting alone.
Euclid Systems on Faces of Trade
KLH Engineers
Fort Thomas
Kentucky
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President and CEO
Bob Heil
Economic Growth
I believe economic growth should be our nation’s number one priority. A vibrant economy makes for vibrant communities. It leads to security for families, it leads for security for individuals and allows individuals to pursue their true passions in life.
Combustion Associates, Inc.
Corona
California
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President
Kusum Kavia
International Trade and Investment
Ninety percent of our products are sold internationally, so trade is critical for our business. If we lose out on projects overseas, we lose the opportunity to break further into that market, and that presents a threat to our current employees.
Her Small Business was Ready to Hire, and then Ex-Im Expired
Miller Imaging and Digital Solutions
Austin
Texas
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President and Owner
Luci Miller
Education
The biggest challenge in growing my business is finding highly-trained, highly-skilled workers. I'd like to see our leaders in Washington help us build a more educated workforce.
Faces Day Spa and Faces Lash Studio
Hilton Head Island
South Carolina
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Founder and Owner
Patricia Owen
Regulatory Reform
The biggest barrier between my business and growth is burdensome regulations. Not only the ones that we experience today, but the fear of more to come in the future.
Her Small Spa Business Will Get Creamed...
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Founder and Owner
Patricia Owen
Health Care
One of the biggest barriers we have to deal with is the complexity around health care, health care regulations, and being able to offer health care to my employees.
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Founder and Owner
Patricia Owen
Economic Growth
Free enterprise means having an environment where businesses, small and large, have the opportunity and the ability to grow and prosper without burdensome regulations. For anyone who has a dream of owning their own business, our free enterprise system provides them with the opportunity to pursue that dream.
https://www.uschamber.com/lets-grow-tour
EAP Lifestyle Management
Daphne
Alabama
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President
Patty Vanderpool
Regulatory Reform
I feel like many people in Washington simply don't understand what it takes for the daily operation of a business; in particular, the amount of time involved. It's not even money, it's time and people. The biggest barrier between my company and growing are excessive regulations. Burdensome regulations mean I have less time to spend generating revenue and hiring more people.
Xenith
Detroit
Michigan
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President
Ryan Sullivan
Education
We make the most advanced protective equipment for athletes right here in Detroit. ... There's a skilled labor shortage across the country, so we are always trying to find skilled, talented workers.
Polyguard Products
Ennis
Texas
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Global Business Development Director
Nathan Muncaster
International Trade and Investment
NAFTA is vital to American business, because Canada and Mexico are our two largest trading partners. We have to get along with our neighbors in order to have trade benefits with them, and it's very important we keep those discussions active and healthy and positive.
Faces of Trade: Polyguard
Lepore Associates
Atlanta
Georgia
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Founder and Principal
Loretta Lepore
Taxes
Congress should simplify the tax code for every American and every small business across the country.
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Founder and Principal
Loretta Lepore
Health Care
In Atlanta, we're looking for lawmakers to get back to the table to find some bipartisan consensus and identify areas in public policy where we can move forward. We all know that healthcare reform is not a partisan issue, that's a bipartisan issue affecting all Americans and all businesses across this country. We know that tax reform is not a bipartisan issue. That's an issue that needs to be addressed, to simplify for every American across the board and every small business across the country.
Pioneer Balloon
Wichita
Kansas
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Vice President, International Division
Ted Vlamis
International Trade and Investment
Pioneer Balloon is a family business that has over $100 million in revenue due to exports. In fact, 50% of our sales are derived from international business. Additional free trade agreements would be beneficial to our business, and NAFTA is critical to the maintenance of our sales and employment. Because of NAFTA, Mexico is now our 3rd largest market. We sell to over 100 countries, but we could be doing more business instead of being restricted by regulations if we had more trade agreements.
Pioneer Balloon on Faces of Trade
Venture Products Inc
Orrville
Ohio
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CEO
Dallas Steiner
International Trade and Investment
Existing VPI product lines will benefit from the existence of free trade agreements that moderate duties, taxes, currency manipulation, and regulations generated by the resident country. Promoting free trade agreements would make it easier for us to interpret and follow policies, to establish fair and reasonable tariffs, and to distribute our products freely with fewer limitations.
Venture Products on Faces of Trade
Maison de Reve Builders
Covington
Louisiana
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Owner
Ellie Schroder
Education
I would like to know what policymakers are doing about the lack of trades in the education system. We need a lot more skilled labor out there.
DeFeet
Hildebran
North Carolina
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Founder, President, and Chief Sockologist
Shane Cooper
International Trade and Investment
If we saw a reduction in our ability to sell our products overseas we could lose as much as 25-30% of our workforce, which would be devastating. We need Washington to support our free trade and free enterprise spirit so we can continue to grow.
DeFeet on Faces of Trade
Ideal Group
Detroit
Michigan
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Founder and Chairman
Frank Venegas
Regulatory Reform
I think that they can make the rules more fair for smaller companies, because I think that some of the requirements for health care and taxes and things like that are particularly tough for small businesses
Heitech Services
Landover
Maryland
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Executive Vice President
James Clement
Taxes
Growth provides jobs, and that means more tax-paying Americans, which is the key to our country's future. As a government contractor, our biggest impediments to growth are the flawed procurement process, excessive regulations and high corporate taxes.
Vinda Agribusiness and Trucking
Kansas City
Missouri
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Owner
Linda Niendick
Taxes
It's time for tax reform, and we can't wait any longer. Tax reform for us would mean that we could have more money to put towards employees' healthcare. Our family farm and our five employees are counting on Congress to get this job done.
Cuisine Unlimited
Salt Lake City
Utah
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Founder and Owner
Maxine Turner
Taxes
America's overly complex tax code with anti-competitive high rates is stifling our ability to expand our businesses and grow our communities.
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Founder and Owner
Maxine Turner
Health Care
The Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, has greatly impacted small business. In fact, in a survey conducted by the Chamber of Commerce in 2014, 58% of small business said it would impact them directly. Our healthcare went from $40,000 a year to $140,000 because we have more than 50 employees.
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Founder and Owner
Maxine Turner
Economic Growth
New opportunities for entrepreneurs, beginning with tax reform, regulatory reform, and other priorities, would result in an economic vigor that would benefit every family across this country.
J.R.’s Goodtimes, Inc.
Herndon
Virginia
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President
Jim Wordsworth
Taxes
Reforming the tax code will allow small business owners like myself to re-invest time and money into our businesses.
Air Tractor
Olney
Texas
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Vice President of Finance
David Ickert
International Trade and Investment
Trade creates jobs in the United States. We need Washington to understand that embracing trade in the world is critical because it means not only growth for the future of Air Tractor but it also means creating jobs in Olney, Texas, and across our nation.
Air Tractor on Faces of Trade
Sage Restoration
Overland Park
Kansas
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President and CEO
Stephanie Sage
Taxes
Small businesses like ours employ a majority of people in America, and we genuinely care about what we do. It's about our livelihood, but it's also about our employees. Tax reform would really help us out, because we would have more money to put back into our company and into our employees.
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President and CEO
Stephanie Sage
Health Care
Being a small business owner, we're really concerned about the cost of healthcare. We are paying outrageous premiums in health insurance. The healthcare system right now is just way too expensive for small business owners.
Frolick Dogs LLC
Alexandria
Virginia
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Co-Owner
Kim Gilliam
Regulatory Reform
Small businesses do not have the dedicated resources to monitor and plan for unclear and changing regulations. If regulations were smarter and simplified then I could focus on growing my business and employing more people with increased wages and benefits. Regulatory reform will help me drive economic growth for our country.
GGCC Technologies
Oakland Park
Maryland
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CEO
Jim Bailey
Taxes
My message to Congress is that comprehensive tax reform is absolutely essential. It's essential today, not tomorrow, or not next week. If my taxes continue to stay where they are or even rise, that prohibits me from growing my business. I want to expand to new lines of business and new kinds of employment. If I could do that today, I could probably add 100 people to my payrolls.
PLIDCO (The Pipeline Development Company)
Westlake
Ohio
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President
Kim Smith
Taxes
Tax reform would allow us to reinvest in our infrastructure, purchase new equipment, and create more jobs.
PLIDCO on Faces of Trade
Illinois International Port District
Chicago
Illinois
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Executive Director
Clayton Harris
Infrastructure
At the Port of Chicago, we need Congress and all other entities to focus on waterways as an integral part of transportation. Specifically, we need more of a dedicated revenue source for infrastructure improvement to alleviate congestion. It would allow the increased movement of goods and commodities that stimulates economic growth, helps small businesses grow, and allows larger businesses to sustain growth.
Debate Over Revitalized Port
Duo Security
Ann Arbor
Michigan
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CEO
Dug Song
Infrastructure
To make a city grow, to make it attractive, it needs three things: affordability, public transit, and development. We also need a lot more company creators. We need to support entrepreneurs. If you create companies, jobs come.
Thar Process Inc.
Pittsburgh
Pennsylvania
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President and CEO
Dr. Lalit Chordia
International Trade and Investment
My company was built on international business. After successful integration and expansion into Europe and Asia, we had 80% market share. We are proud that Thar was built on international business, and thanks to trade opportunities, we have grown from one employee to 43 employees, but we need to eliminate the barriers of entry to level the playing field and make our products more competitive.
Thar Process on Faces of Trade
Patton Electronics
Gaithersburg
Maryland
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CEO
Bobby Patton
Regulatory Reform
If we want to bring back Main Street, if we want to bring back small businesses, we've got to lay off the regulations and let us grow.
Crimson Cup Coffee and Tea
Columbus
Ohio
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Founder and President
Greg Ubert
Taxes
High taxes mean less money for us to invest and less money to hire new people. We want to keep hiring and growing, and tax reform would help us do that.
This 2016 Dream Big Finalist Has Something Brewing
Rugged Liner
Owosso
Michigan
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Director of International Sales
Yannick Granier
International Trade and Investment
We need Washington to focus on fine-tuning NAFTA to make it even better for American businesses, and the whole U.S. economy will experience the positive ripple effect. If the government opens up free trade agreements, exporters will do the rest of the job; we just need to Washington open up the door.
Rugged Liner on Faces of Trade
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Director of International Sales
Yannick Granier
Economic Growth
In the United States, we're very fortunate to have a free enterprise spirit. We have a “make it happen” mentality that I have not witnessed anywhere else in the world. I'm a first-generation immigrant. I've been here more than 20 years, and I've witnessed the good times and the bad. I've witnessed the Great Recession, but I've also seen this can-do spirit. This is why America remains the most attractive country to do business, and we must cherish our free enterprise system.
DonahueFavret Contractors
Covington
Louisiana
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President and CEO
John Donahue
Regulatory Reform
Small businesses are the backbone of America. We don't need to be overregulated to the point where can't we afford to run our business or we can't afford to grow our businesses.
Detroit Labs
Detroit
Michigan
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CEO and Co-Founder
Paul Glomski
Infrastructure
One way Washington can significantly impact cities is by supporting regional transportation. It's good for residents throughout the entire city, and it helps businesses that want to attract employees who want to take public transit.
Global Strategic Supply Solutions
Livonia
Michigan
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Co-Founder and CEO
Lisa Lunsford
Education
It is critical for our leaders to pound the drum about the importance of education, whether it is a two-year degree, four-year degree, or a vocational certification. Our leaders need to understand what education means for the country to grow and for me to grow my business.
Constructeam
Fraser
Michigan
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Owner and Founder
Joe Cipriano
Taxes
We need government to create an environment that allows a business like ours to grow and create the jobs. There will always be taxes, but they don't have to be so punitive.
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Owner and Founder
Joe Cipriano
Regulatory Reform
We don't need to be overregulated to the point where we can't afford to run our businesses, or we can't afford to grow our businesses.
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Owner and Founder
Joe Cipriano
Regulatory Reform
We don't need government to create the jobs, we need government to create an environment that allows a business like ours to grow and create the jobs. There will always be regulation, but it doesn't have to be so burdensome. There will always be taxes, but they don't have to be so punitive.
Louisiana Federal Credit Union
Hammond
Louisiana
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Business Development Manager
Kim Bourgeois
Education
As a leading business in the River Parish area, we want to do what we can to support workforce development initiatives. Businesses both small and large are lacking skilled workers to keep our region sustainable. I'd like to see our future leaders trained and have them stay in the River Region when they're ready to enter the workforce.
Hughs-Ray Company
Douglasville
Georgia
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Vice President, Design
Darryl Ray
Health Care
One of the biggest challenges that we face right now is paying for our employees' health care. The price for health care is constantly going up, and it makes us fearful to even ask how much more do we want to grow. Do we want to hire more employees? Are we going to be able to afford that? Health care costs make it difficult to decide how much we want to grow as a company.
Preferred Popcorn
Chapman
Nebraska
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CEO
Norm Krug
International Trade and Investment
Due to agricultural advancements in the United States, our farmers can compete with any farmers in the world. We have tremendous advantages in technology, research, and fertile growing regions, but we can't compete with governments, and we need Washington’s help to break down tariffs and other restrictions that deeply impact our ability to sell our popcorn around the world.
Preferred Popcorn on Faces of Trade
Gulf States Companies
Covington
Louisiana
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President
Mike Saucier
Taxes
There should be more incentives built into the tax code for small companies to grow.
America’s job creators have spoken.
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