(Washington, DC) — Steve Rennekamp, Owner of Energy Swing Windows, was one of only 100 small business owners in the country invited to attend this exclusive event on Tuesday, August 1, 2017 in the East Wing of the White House. As part of “American Dream Week”, small business owners joined the President and several staff members to discuss what this administration can do to help small businesses succeed. Linda McMahon, Administrator of the SBA, General John Kelly, the President’s Chief of Staff, and Ivanka Trump also interacted with the small business owners.

Most Americans don’t realize that two-thirds of working people in the United States are employed by small businesses, and half of all new jobs are created by small businesses. Obviously, many of today’s larger companies grew from small business roots. Small businesses have always been the engine that built America’s economy and they will continue to play a critical role in adding good paying jobs for tomorrow. The entrepreneurs that start and grow small businesses represent the true American spirit of creating opportunities for growth through hard work.

One of the primary points of discussion was the difficulty almost every business is facing in finding a qualified workforce. Most of the companies in the meeting expressed concern over their ability to find qualified personnel to fill today’s voids and future people needs. Mrs. McMahon talked about programs that are either in place or are being developed aimed at assisting American workers and small businesses.

Mr. Rennekamp’s business, Energy Swing Windows in Murrysville, manufactures, installs and fully guarantees all its products and work.  They employ 15 people full-time, including employee installers, which is unique for the window and door industry. Most companies use sub-contractors to install their products, but Mr. Rennekamp strongly believes in using employee installers to ensure the quality of his company’s work. However, federal regulations have made it difficult for him to provide the level of benefits, especially healthcare, that he feels his employees deserve.

Steve expanded on the need for cooperation between the government and small businesses, “Starting and running a business represents a risk that is hard to understand until you are in the middle of it. On a daily basis, a business owner faces a variety of obstacles in an effort to sustain and grow a business. Every small business wants to grow and add jobs. I’m involved because it’s important for people in government to understand what they can do to help a small business grow and add jobs. Even more importantly, it is critical that they realize the detrimental impact that regulations and tax policies can have on growth. The President seems to have a good grip on the important issues we face as business owners and understands the actual mechanics that make small businesses run.  He also knows what inhibits growth.”

For more information on this story or about Energy Swing Windows, please contact Steve Rennekamp directly at 724-387-2991 or by email at stever@energyswingwindows.com. He would love to have the opportunity to discuss this event and the role of small business with you.

Energy Swing Windows is located in Murrysville, PA, just 20 miles outside of downtown Pittsburgh. It has been in business since 1996 and serves all of southwestern Pennsylvania. Energy Swing Windows manufactures its own brand of energy-efficient windows designed to swing open like a door for enhanced ease of cleaning.