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State Representative David Bly
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-0171
For more information contact: Michael Howard 651-296-8873
Column/LTE
Answers to Jumpstart our Economy, One at a Time
President Obama said during his inaugural address, “The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward." Minnesotans who are struggling to find or keep their job are counting on the State Legislature to wrestle with this question throughout the upcoming session. A week prior to President Obama’s inauguration, I got some helpful guidance at a small business in Lonsdale.
To get an idea about how the economic recession is affecting our district, I have visited several small businesses over the past few months. One of the businesses I visited was Telamco Inc., a small business that specializes in custom all-environment switches made to withstand harsh exposure to heat, moisture or chemicals. So if you own a family restaurant and need an on/off switch for your deep fryer, Telamco Inc. might be a company to do business with.
Visiting with the owner, I found out Telamco has been in Lonsdale since 1968. For the last twenty-years, they have focused mainly on membrane key pay switches, which due to their complex nature, must be made by hand. They have 14 employees, and their clients are low to mid volume users, mainly from Minnesota and surrounding states. In recent years, Telamco has had difficulty staying competitive in the rapidly evolving global economy and has struggled to adapt to emergence of the internet and their ability to reach to reach prospective clients.
Telamco received a boost when they applied for and received a grant from the “Growth and Acceleration Program” (GAP) from Enterprise Minnesota, a non-profit businesses development group. The GAP program was created by legislation passed by the state legislature in 2007. Under GAP, small businesses with fewer than 100 employers could receive up to $25,000 per year towards projected intended to help the company grow. Businesses have to match any money they are awarded. Telamco used resources from the GAP program to retool their website and other web-based strategies to broaden the company’s ability to connect with clients. Due to the GAP funding, Telamco was able to move from the 41st page to the 1st page of a google search and subsequently was able to increase the reach of their client base.
The GAP Program was funded with $750,000 in one time money and over 50 Minnesota small businesses have used these grants to grow their businesses and grow or keep Minnesota jobs. This session we will likely have to decide on whether to again fund the “Growth Acceleration Program” for the next two years.
It’s important to be aware that the GAP program offers a very small piece of the answer Minnesotans are looking for to jumpstart our economy. But it’s a program that is working and is helping our community. We need to keep looking to other creative programs, initiatives or ideas where state government can work with businesses and citizens to rebuild our economy. And if you have ideas of your own, I’d greatly appreciate if you give me a call or e-mail to share your input.
State Representative David Bly can be reached at (651) 296-7065 or by e-mail at rep.david.bly@house.mn
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