Shaheen Hosts SBA Administrator Guzman at Londonderry Business to Address Supply Chain & Workforce Challenges and Continued Federal Support for Small Businesses
Senator Jeanne Shaheen and SBA Administrator Guzman tour Londonderry manufacturer Uni-Cast earlier this morning.
(Londonderry, NH) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) – a senior member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship – hosted U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman this morning at Uni-Cast, a Londonderry aluminum investment casting manufacturer, to discuss the role of Granite State manufacturing, supply chain challenges amid the pandemic, workforce needs and federal assistance for small businesses. During the visit, Shaheen and Guzman toured the facility and met with personnel.
“Uni-Cast is a family-owned and operated New Hampshire small business, and a key example of how Granite State manufacturing plays a crucial role in our local economy, while helping to advance our national priorities. Its aluminum castings are sought after by aerospace and defense firms, which strengthens New Hampshire’s prized manufacturing reputation in support of our national defense. I’m glad Administrator Guzman was in New Hampshire to learn about the important work that Uni-Cast does, how it generates jobs right here in our community, but also so she could hear first-hand about the challenges we’re experiencing from supply chain issues, workforce obstacles and continued recovery needs as a result of the pandemic,” said Senator Shaheen. “As Americans face difficult financial obstacles due to Putin’s unprovoked war in Ukraine, and from the economic fallout spurred by the pandemic, every effort must be made to assist manufacturers like Uni-Cast. As a negotiator of the small business provisions in the CARES Act, as well as significant portions of the infrastructure bill, I know there is common ground in Congress to be found on the most pressing economic concerns facing our nation. I look forward to working with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, and with Administrator Guzman, to that end.”
“Small manufacturing businesses are on the rise, making products in local communities that are purchased and put to use across the nation and the world. It was a pleasure to join Senator Shaheen today and visit Uni-Cast, a small manufacturer making a big impact on their local economy. And thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law - which Senator Shaheen helped negotiate and get across the finish line - there are more opportunities on the horizon for manufacturers and other small businesses in New Hampshire and across the country. I’m committed to working with President Biden, my fellow cabinet members, and Congress to make sure small businesses are getting connected with the funding and resources they need to grow and thrive,” said SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman.
Senator Shaheen worked to provide small businesses with the resources they need to weather and recover from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Shaheen helped lead negotiations on provisions in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to assist small businesses, which established the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and expanded the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program, both of which were lifelines for businesses throughout New Hampshire and the country. More than 41,000 New Hampshire small businesses and non-profits, including Uni-Cast, received over $3.7 billion in PPP assistance, following Shaheen’s successful push to extend the deadline to apply for federal funding through PPP. In the COVID-19 relief signed into law in December 2020, Shaheen helped secure $20 billion for the EIDL emergency grant program and $3.5 billion to extend the Debt Relief Program established under the CARES Act, which covers payment of principal, interest and fees on all pre-existing and new Small Business Administration (SBA)-backed loans.
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