Hoyer & SBA Administrator Tour Fifth District Business, Discusses Export Opportunities with Small Business Owners

BELTSVILLE, MD –Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-5), joined by the Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration Maria Contreras-Sweet, toured Antenna Research Associates, a manufacturer of RF solutions and antenna systems headquartered in Beltsville. Following the tour, Hoyer and Contrearas-Sweet met with small business owners from the Fifth District to discuss the wide array of services the SBA offers to assist small businesses to expand their export opportunities.

"I was impressed by the technology and advanced manufacturing taking place at Antenna Research Associates (ARA) today," said Congressman Steny Hoyer. "ARA started as a small company and has since become an innovative leader around the world in antenna systems and technology. In Congress, I've been fighting for a set of policies called Make It In America, a plan to grow our economy and create good jobs. One of the key parts of the plan is promoting exports, which will have an outsized role in helping small businesses grow."

"The Small Business Administration, under the leadership of Maria Contrereas-Sweet, has been available as a resource to businesses like Antenna Research Associates to facilitate access to capital, assist with contracts, and provide helpful advice," continued Congressman Hoyer. "Maria Contrereas-Sweet has been a powerful advocate for the power of small businesses to grow our economy, and I was proud to have her in the Fifth District to give advice to small business owners seeking new opportunities to sell their products around the world and grow their businesses here at home."

Today, 96 percent of the world's consumers and two-thirds of its purchasing power live in export markets. In 2014, the SBA approved over $20 million in loans for businesses in the Fifth District and more than $21 million in export loans for businesses in the state of Maryland.