Stabenow Salutes Small Businesses

Michigan's Senior Senator Debbie Stabenow made a series of small business owners beam with pride today as she traveled on a swing through three counties in Michigan's Great Southwest to see how those businesses have fared under various USDA loan and federal assistance programs. She seemed to thoroughly enjoy her visit to the year old Vineyard 2121 on Red Arrow Highway where she toured the winery, the vineyard and tasted both grapes off of the vine and wine from grapes that had grown there.

Jeffrey & Deborah Pallas were the consummate hosts welcoming Senator Stabenow to their very successful venture on a gorgeous, sunny, fall afternoon atop one of the highest hills in all of Berrien County. She sampled a glass of Meritage wine which included several varietals including Stabenow's self-proclaimed favorite, Merlot.

The Senator visited nine small business enterprises across the region this afternoon including three each in Plainwell, Paw Paw and Benton Harbor. It was part of her larger state-wide tour of small businesses which has also taken her to Monroe, Jackson, Flint, Bay City, Ludington, Onaway, Grand Haven, Hastings, Holland, Muskegon, Marquette, St. Ignace and Escanaba.

Today's tour started with visits to Plainwell Flowers, RWE Healthy Living and Dancing Dogs Quilt Shop all in Plainwell, before she advanced to Paw Paw for visits with RNS Packaging, Greg's Paw Paw Blend, and Edgin Creations. In Benton Harbor her stops included not only Vineyard 2121, but also Murfee's Boutique and Lark's Bar-B-Que, both of which are along Main Street in Benton Harbor's central business district.

Debbie Pallas was "very honored" to have Senator Stabenow at the vineyard tasting room today, saying, "It's nice to be recognized among so many of the businesses, especially agricultural businesses for utilizing the programs that she supports." She says the Senator "really like the wine." She feels that the Senator was "really impressed that her work and support of the programs of the USDA and the Department of Agriculture do truly benefit the people in our area and hopefully all through the country."

Vineyard 2121 is "going great, following a wonderful start up in the past year that has far exceeded our expectations," says Pallas. She adds, "We feel very blessed and probably wouldn't have been able to open up as soon as we did without the help from the program that Senator Stabenow is here to acknowledge today, so we feel very good about that." Deb also notes that the vineyard has enjoyed new record turnouts for the last four consecutive weekends, as more and more people discover their tasting room and vineyard which also features a full kitchen and plays hosts to many events including destination weddings.

Senator Stabenow's work with the USDA is increasingly legendary to many small businesses, especially those visited on this tour. She tells us, "Small businesses are the backbone of Michigan's economy and create the majority of new jobs, and this is as evident as ever in West Michigan." She adds, "It's inspiring to see first-hand the work ethic, creativity and resilience of Michigan's small businesses."

Senator Stabenow has been a strong advocate for small businesses, cutting taxes and increasing access to capital for entrepreneurs to help them expand and create jobs. As a senior member of the Finance committee, Senator Stabenow led the effort last year to extend important tax cuts for manufacturers, startups, and other small businesses. She introduced the Small Business Access to Capital act of 2015 to help small businesses access the capital they need to grow and create jobs. As Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, she has strongly advocated for small business support through the USDA's Rural Development program.

In the photo above, Jeff and Deb Pallas flank Senator Stabenow as they sample the wine and grapes at Vineyard 2121.