Senator Stabenow Tours Small Businesses Across West Michigan

U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow met with business owners and workers in Muskegon as part of her small business tour across the state. During her visit to West Michigan, Stabenow toured Eagle Alloy, The Cheese Lady, and Pigeon Hill Brewing. Stabenow has also met with small business owners in the Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan during her tour. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, Michigan’s small businesses employed over half, or 1.8 million, of the state’s private workforce in 2012.

“Small businesses are the backbone of Michigan’s economy and create the majority of new jobs, and this is as evident as ever in West Michigan,” said Senator Stabenow. “It’s inspiring to see first-hand the work ethic, creativity and resilience of Michigan’s small businesses.

“It was a pleasure hosting Senator Stabenow to hear about her efforts to grow small businesses in Michigan, to thank her for her efforts on our behalf in the past and to communicate to her the never-ending regulatory challenges we continue to face as metalcasters.” said Jeff Cook, Vice President – Sales and Marketing, Eagle Alloy.  “We look forward to working with her to continue removing roadblocks that put Michigan companies at a disadvantage on the global stage.”

“It is so helpful to have Senator Stabenow fighting to help small businesses like ours,” said Kathleen F. Riegler, owner of The Cheese Lady.

Senator Stabenow has been a strong advocate for small businesses, cutting taxes and increasing access to capital for entrepreneurs to help them expand and create jobs. As a senior member of the Finance committee, Senator Stabenow led the effort last year to extend important tax cuts for manufacturers, startups, and other small businesses. She introduced the Small Business Access to Capital Act of 2015 to help small businesses access the capital they need to grow and create jobs. As Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, she has strongly advocated for small business support through USDA’s Rural Development program.

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