SBA chief Loeffler tours Canonsburg business
CANONSBURG – Former Georgia senator and current Small Business Administration Chief Kelly Loeffler visited Steel Nation Inc. in the borough Wednesday afternoon during a multi-state tour in celebration of National Small Business Week.
Loeffler’s tour to tout the Trump administration’s efforts to boost locally owned small enterprises across the county also includes stops in Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, North Carolina and Georgia.
National Small Business Week kicked off on Monday with a White House event where President Donald Trump commended the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) ongoing work, saying that in the U.S., “small business is big business,” according to Loeffler.
Before touring Steel Nation’s headquarters in Canonsburg, Loeffler stopped by the SBA Pittsburgh District Office annual award event at the Bella Sera Event Villa off Morganza Road.
“I’m excited we can honor these incredibly deserving award winners, and small businesses everywhere,” Loeffler said following a networking luncheon with local leaders.
During a media engagement following a meeting with Steel Nation executives and employees, Loeffler said that small businesses are key to continued economic growth for the country, with small businesses contributing about half the nation’s annual gross domestic product.
“When you think about small businesses, how critical they are to American industry, construction, manufacturing, energy, and then the hard-working men and women that work here, it’s incredible to see,” she said.
Steel Nation President Mark Dooley thanked Loeffler for her interest in his business, where approximately 45 employees manufacture a range of pre-fabricated steel structures and power infrastructure mainly for the oil and gas extraction industry.
“When (Loeffler) talked about energy and sustainable energy, we help provide that with our products and services,” Doole said.
Loeffler concluded her appearance with an optimistic message for small business owners who are concerned about market instability due to the sudden jump in oil prices.
“The conflict right now, we’re two months in, it’s a short-term conflict. We think that’s going to have a near-term resolution … we’re poised for gas prices to come down at the conclusion of this conflict and stay down,” Loeffler said. “It would be really great for small businesses to know that natural gas and oil shipping lanes are not any longer held hostage by a terrorist government that can at any time inflict pain on the world’s energy markets.”