Parsippany, NJ–– Last week, Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) met with local military veterans who own small businesses across NJ-11 for a roundtable discussion on the challenges servicemembers face when starting a small business after their service and what additional support is needed. This event was hosted alongside Commander Wayne Stine at the Butler VFW Post 8096.
"Veterans bring a wealth of experience to our civilian workforce with their unique leadership skills, problem-solving, and teamwork. Yet, for many of our vets, the transition from active duty to civilian life is not always easy, including for the entrepreneurs starting their own business," said Rep. Sherrill. "Ensuring that our veterans have the support they need is always central to my work. Last week's roundtable was an important opportunity to hear directly from veterans about their small businesses, the challenges they faced after leaving military service, and the support needed amid the ongoing economic fallout from the pandemic. I want to thank each of these veterans for sharing their perspective and to extend special thanks to Commander Stine for welcoming me to Butler VFW Post 8096 to hear their stories."
"Thank you to Congresswoman Sherrill and her team for a wonderful discussion on how her office can assist Veterans with not only finding the resources to start a business, but also securing resources to grow established small businesses," said Tim Allen, President of Allied Equipment Service. "It's reassuring to see an elected official take the time to speak with business owners for an honest assessment of what can be done at the federal level to best help Veteran business owners in our local communities. I hope we can build on this conversation as I'm confident of the impact Veteran-owned small businesses will continue to have on our economy."
"It was very useful to learn that other veteran small businesses struggled with the similar challenges as I did. Representative Sherrill came across informed and concerned about the challenges veteran business owners face in getting basic services that have been allocated for their benefit. Thank you for making this session possible," said Marcos Bermeo, President of 12T Group.
"I'm grateful for Congresswoman Sherrill's commitment to veteran-owned business and her willingness to bring the community together to facilitate a discussion that addressed the unique challenges the community faces and highlighted some of the resources available. I'm looking forward to continuing the dialogue in an effort to assist veteran-owned businesses to access the resources they need to help their business grow and thrive," said Jason Leisey, Chief Executive Officer of C&C Construction.
Rep. Sherrill and Commander Stine were joined by:
Kathy Caruso, Executive Director, McNulty Veteran Business Center
Tim Allen, President Allied Equipment Service
Ed Ramirez, Director of Business Resources, Morris County Economic Development Committee
Marcos Bermeo, President 12T Group
Joe Colangelo, Chief Executive Officer, Boxcar
Christopher Bean, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Eyes On Local
Anthony Page, Co-Founder, Applied Performance Sciences
Jason Leisey, Chief Executive Officer, C&C Construction
Brian Gallagher, Commander of Fairfield VFW 7925 and Student of Fairleigh Dickinson University Veterans Launching Ventures Program
Eric Symbouras, Air Force veteran and owner of J n C BBQ, could not stay for the roundtable but provided boxed barbeque sandwich lunches for the group.
Learn more about Rep. Sherrill's work on veterans' issues here.
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