Peters Congratulates Holland Small Business Owner on Michigan State Small Business Award Winner
EBW Electronics Chairman Earns National Recognition
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), a member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, today applauded the Chairman of EBW Electronics, Pat LeBlanc, for earning national recognition from the Small Business Administration (SBA) as a State Small Business Award Winner for 2015. The award comes during National Small Business Week, which aims to showcase small businesses nationally, promote the work small businesses do to support our economy, and highlight the resources available to entrepreneurs at the SBA.
“I want to congratulate EBW Electronics Chairman Pat LeBlanc for being nationally recognized by the Small Business Administration as Michigan’s Small Business Award Winner. EBW Electronics’ innovative design and manufacturing services and rapid growth have translated into job creation and economic benefit for the community of Holland and the West Michigan region,” said Senator Peters. “As a member of the Senate Small Business Committee, I am focused on supporting Michigan’s small businesses, which are the engines of economic growth that hire locally and promote innovation and entrepreneurship across our state.”
Based in Holland, Michigan, EBW Electronics was founded in 1992 and has been locally-owned since its inception, focusing on manufacturing electronic components for clients across numerous industries. Last year, they completed a 36,000 square feet expansion of their facilities. EBW Electronics has been consistently recognized as one of the fastest-growing manufacturers in both West Michigan and across the state.
Peters has long been a champion of Michigan’s small businesses and start-ups. Most recently, he introduced a bipartisan bill to strengthen the Small Business Administration (SBA)’s main lending program, the 7(a) loan program, which has since passed the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee and now awaits a vote in the full Senate. As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Peters authored the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), which started in 2010. Many small businesses were struggling to find the resources needed to stay afloat after the recession, and the program leverages significant private capital with targeted federal investments. SSBCI has been a huge success, supporting nearly 100,000 jobs, including 4,000 jobs in Michigan. Over 500 loans have been made here in Michigan and have leveraged more than $430 million in private capital.
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