Absolute Resource

Press Release: Senator Shaheen & SBA's Karen Mills visit ARA

PORTSMOUTH, NH, August 17, 2012- In an economy where “layoffs” and “losses” lead the business headlines, US Senator Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH, and US Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Karen Mills were happy to focus on some of the success stories in New Hampshire today. Shaheen and Mills visited Absolute Resource Associates (ARA) in Portsmouth to talk about how the SBA federal programs have impacted ARA in terms of opportunities and job growth.

ARA is a small, woman owned business participating in the SBA 8(a) business development program, and has met the qualifications to be classified as an Economically Disadvantaged Woman Owned Small Business (EDWOSB). These programs 8(a) and EDWOSB, and others like it, are designed to help small businesses get on the same playing field as their larger competitors.

ARA has tripled in staffing, revenue, and facility size over the past 12 years, and the SBA has provided ongoing support since Guy and Susan Sylvester purchased the Environmental Firm back in 2000. ARA has expanded their environmental business with the federal government as demonstrated by recent awards with the Department of the Army, Naval Facilities, EPA and the USDA. Susan Sylvester, President of ARA, said, “In this tight economy the SBA programs have allowed our business the ability to diversify to meet the needs of our customers, create new jobs, and offer growth opportunities to our employees.”

During the tour of the ARA facility, Senator Shaheen and Administrator Mills were able to get a better understanding of the role that ARA plays in protecting human health and the environment by providing analytical support to Brownfields projects, air quality services for LEED buildings and asbestos investigations, nitrogen treatment research in municipal wastewater treatment facility upgrades and other infrastructure projects for local, state and federal customers. Shaheen and Mills congratulated the Sylvesters for taking advantage of the federal programs designed specifically to help companies like ARA. "Our job is to put the wind at your back," said Mills. "Government doesn't create jobs; small businesses create the jobs. But we have a role to make sure you have the tools that you need in order for you to be able to do what you did."

About Absolute Resource Associates:
Absolute Resource Associates (ARA) is a Woman Owned SBA 8(a), WOSB, EDWOSB, SDB, DBE, NELAC, ISO/IEC 17025 and DoD ELAP accredited small business, providing a broad range of environmental services to clients throughout New England and beyond. Services include Environmental Laboratory Testing, Indoor Air Quality Services as well as Federal Project Management. www.absoluteresourceassociates.com