SHAHEEN: BOOSTING EXPORTS WILL CREATE JOBS, GROW SMALL BUSINESSES

(Nashua, NH) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) visited Nashua-based Windmill International today to showcase the job-creating potential of export promotion and small business research and development (R&D) initiatives. During her visit to Windmill International, a veteran-owned business which provides program management, training, engineering, technology and software development for the defense industry, Shaheen specifically highlighted two programs that she has championed: the State Trade Export Promotion (STEP) grant and the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. Windmill has benefited from both which has helped the company expand and create jobs and in 2010 was recognized with the Smaller Business Association of New England's Award for Innovation.

“Windmill is a great example of a company that has been able to grow and create jobs by capitalizing on opportunities to both export and invest in research and development,” said Shaheen. “Now we need to do more to promote the kind of work that Windmill is doing at the national level.”

Expanding and growing small businesses is critical to New Hampshire’s economy as 96 percent of the state’s employers are small businesses and accordingly, Shaheen has promoted efforts to help small businesses innovate, grow and create jobs. As a member of the Senate Committee on Small Business, Shaheen has championed both the STEP grant and the SBIR Program that Windmill has used to expand in recent years.

Earlier this year, Shaheen introduced the bipartisan Small Business Export Growth Act  to help small businesses capitalize on export opportunities by removing red tape and improving federal export assistance programs for small businesses. Exports of New Hampshire products totaled nearly $3.5 billion last year, providing a critical boost to many local businesses. Shaheen also helped craft the landmark Small Business Jobs Act which provided unprecedented support for small businesses. The bill cut taxes by billions for small businesses and made it easier for small companies to expand into overseas markets. Earlier this year, the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee passed Shaheen’s bipartisan legislation to permanently reauthorize the SBA 504 refinance program which helps small companies refinance their mortgages and lock in low interest rates. 

Although headquartered in Nashua, Windmill has expanded to Hollis, New Hampshire, Washington, DC, Arlington, Virginia, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Seattle, Washington and Tokyo, Japan. The company was named one of the Top 100 Private Companies and one of the Top 20 Fastest Growing Companies in New Hampshire by Business NH Magazine in 2010 and was listed on INC Magazine’s list of the 500 fasts growing small businesses in 1994, 1995 and 2002.