Press Release: Sylvester Goes to Washington- ARA President Testifies at Senate Hearing in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 23, 2014- Susan Sylvester, President of Absolute Resource Associates (ARA) of Portsmouth, NH testified in Washington D.C. today at a hearing entitled “Empowering Women Entrepreneurs: Understanding Successes, Addressing Persistent Challenges, and Identifying New Opportunities.” The hearing was spearheaded by the US Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship, and Sylvester was asked by US Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) to talk about how Federal Programs like SBA 8(a) and the SBA Loan Program have impacted ARA in terms of opportunities and job growth. The committee is exploring ways to strengthen opportunities for women-owned businesses in the US.

“These programs allow my small but very capable company the opportunity to show what our capabilities are, despite the fact that we appear to not have the breadth of experience and deep pockets that the large federal contractors have,” Sylvester said. “Our employees are some of the best in the business and we stand by our services 100%, but without these Small Business programs, we wouldn’t often have the opportunity to throw our hat in the ring. Through programs like 8(a) and WOSB, we can.”

“It was great to host Sue this afternoon so she could share her valuable insight as a successful small business owner," Shaheen said. "Now we must act so that other women can replicate her experiences and success as an entrepreneur.”

 

To view the entire hearing via US Senate Committee webcast, click here.

 

ARA is a small, woman owned business participating in the SBA 8(a) business development program, and is classified as a Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB) and Economically Disadvantaged Woman Owned Small Business (EDWOSB).  These programs (8(a), WOSB, 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 14 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, and has recent awards with the US Army, US Navy, US Air Force, EPA, and USDA.  “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,” Sylvester said.

 

About Absolute Resource Associates:

Absolute Resource Associates 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 Project Management. 

 

FMI visit www.absoluteresourceassociates.com

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