SHAHEEN: ENCOURAGING SMALL BUSINESS, ENTREPRENEURSHIP CRITICAL TO ECONOMIC GROWTH, JOB CREATION

(November 1, 2013: Representatives from the Enterprise Center at Plymouth honor Senator Jeanne Shaheen for her support of the center.) 

(Plymouth, NH) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) encouraged more investments in small businesses today while meeting with officials and touring the newly opened Enterprise Center at Plymouth. Shaheen was a lead advocate for the construction of the Enterprise Center at Plymouth, which is a collaborative effort by Plymouth State University and the Grafton County Economic Development Council (GCEDC) that offers resources to businesses such as technical assistance, business counseling and leased space to help them grow and succeed.  The center received a $781,250 grant from the federal Economic Development Administration in 2012 toward its creation.

“New Hampshire is truly a small business state and if we help small businesses grow, we help them create jobs,” Shaheen said. “Business incubators like the Enterprise Center are a great boost to job creation and the economy, particularly in rural New Hampshire. The work of the Grafton County Economic Development Council should serve as a model of how to leverage the expertise of educational institutions and take advantage of federal programs to support businesses in the region.”

Last year, Senator Shaheen wrote a letter to the Secretary of Commerce in support of GCEDC’s application for a $731,000 grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to create the new business resource center in Plymouth. The center has been enthusiastically supported by area corporations including the NH Electric Co-op and the Common Man restaurant.

Shaheen, who is a former small business owner and a member of the Senate Committee on Small Businesses and Entrepreneurship, has made supporting small companies and economic growth in New Hampshire a top priority. This week  Shaheen joined a campaign coalition to promote legislation that will spur the manufacturing industry and create jobs. The Manufacturing Jobs for America legislative package includes two of Shaheen’s bipartisan proposals, the On-the-Job Training Act of 2013 and the Small Business Export Growth Act. Shaheen has also won long-term reauthorization for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), which is a program that allows more small, innovative businesses to compete for federal research and development programs.