Senators Reid, Landrieu Discuss Impact of Jobs Bill to Boost Innovation by Small Businesses

Nevada Senator Harry Reid [pictured] and Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu, chair of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, today discussed the U.S. Senate’s third jobs bill: Reauthorization of the Small Business Innovation Research [SBIR] and Small Business Technical Transfer [STTR] programs.

First passed under President Ronald Reagan in 1983, these initiatives have awarded more than 89,000 research and development grants worth more than $28 billion to help thousands of small businesses across the country expand and hire new workers.

The senators were joined on the call by Dr. Kenneth Eilertsen, Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of Louisiana-based NuPotential Inc., and Jim Hodge, Chief Technical Officer of southern Nevada-based K2 Energy Solutions Inc. Both companies have taken advantage of the SBIR and STTR programs.

"Tens of thousands of small businesses like Nevada-based K2 Energy Solutions have taken advantage of these innovation grants to create jobs and discover the exciting, new products that will keep America competitive in a 21st century global economy," Reid said. "These grants have a highly successful track record. They have helped launch new ideas -- everything from the electric toothbrush, to satellite antennae that helped first responders in Haiti, to technologies that keep our food safe and our military’s tanks from overheating in the desert.

"The only way to turn our economy around is to continue investing in the small businesses in Nevada, and across our country, that are come up with the next brilliant technological advancement that will put people back to work."

"We have already created the formula to get the best return on our investment in small, high-technology firms," said Sen. Landrieu. "Businesses like Mezzo Technologies in Louisiana, which began with only two employees, now has an annual payroll of $1.2 million. That’s putting Americans back to work with cost-effective investments in America’s entrepreneurs through programs like SBIR and STTR.

"In addition to the good return on investment from Mezzo, we’ve got the undeniable success of Qualcomm. With roughly $1.5 billion in SBIR awards, Qualcomm now pays more than $1 billion in annual taxes -- essentially paying for half of the SBIR and STTR programs each year.

"Clearly, there is a plan of action in place. Now it’s time for to execute, and I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting America’s innovators and job creators."

Since the SBIR and STTR programs began 28 years ago, Louisiana has received nearly $60 million and 239 grant awards for its small-business community. Louisiana-based NuPotential received more than $550,000 in STTR grants in collaboration with Louisiana State University to improve cattle somatic cell nuclear transfer [cloning] using NuPotential technology.

Over the last three decades, Nevada has received more than $76 million in grants -- 224 awards, with an average of $341,549 per award -- placing Nevada seventh among all states in dollars-per-award average and well above the national average of $316,341 per award per state.

The Henderson, Nev.-based company, K2 Energy Solutions -- one of the nation’s leaders of rechargeable battery technology -- has received nearly $140,000 in SBIR grants to create an updated BB-2590 battery for the U.S. Army that is three times as powerful, can be used longer, is lighter-weight, capable of a faster recharge, and costs less than the original. Such improvements will drastically reduce the number of batteries that troops must carry in the field, and save weight and logistics needed to transport the battery to the field.

After 10 short-term reauthorizations since 2008, the Senate will soon vote to give stability to the SBIR and STTR programs, so that they can continue to support America’s small businesses. Stay tuned...

SOURCES: GovTrack.us, U.S. Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
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SBA Announces Appointment of Elizabeth Echols as Administrator of Region IX

Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration [SBA] announced the appointment of Elizabeth Echols as the regional administrator in Region IX. There, she'll oversee the SBA’s programs and services in California, Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii and Guam.

"Both the SBA and small businesses of the region will benefit greatly from Elizabeth’s career in public service and commitment to innovation and business development," said SBA Administrator Karen Mills. "Her background in management, technology and green business will be a tremendous asset as we continue to help drive economic growth through support for small businesses throughout the region -- and, in particular, innovative businesses and entrepreneurs with high-growth and job creation potential."

"The SBA is playing a critical role in our nation’s economic recovery," Echols said. "I’m excited to have the opportunity to make a difference on the single biggest economic issue facing our country and Region IX: the need to create quality jobs and get people back to work.

"I’m honored to have the chance to implement the President’s plan for economic recovery, which includes giving small businesses the tools they need to grow and drive our economy forward. I look forward to working with Administrator Mills and the talented staff throughout the region to succeed in this important mission."

Echols currently serves as director of the U.S. Green Building Council - Northern California Chapter, where she focuses on developing public policy and forging alliances to support green jobs, and furthers the development of one of the nation’s fastest-growing nonprofits.

Previously, she co-led the agency review process for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration [NTIA] during the Obama-Biden Transition Project, and served as director of policy for nearly four years at Google, where she managed the development and implementation of global policies for Google’s consumer and business products.

Echols worked on Internet and telecommunications issues at the White House and the Department of Commerce under President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Yale and a J.D. from Stanford Law School.

Echols will oversee 120 employees in 12 offices, including the California district offices in Sacramento, San Francisco, Fresno, Santa Ana, San Diego, and Los Angeles; as well as offices in Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada; Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Hagatna, Guam.

To date, SBA has supported more than 11,000 Recovery Act loans in Region IX -- worth a total of nearly $6 billion.

SOURCES: U.S. Green Building Council - Northern California Chapter [photo], U.S. Small Business Administration
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