MINNEAPOLIS – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar continues her focus on small businesses as she travels to communities in Minnesota during the week of February 15.

Klobuchar is visiting businesses in Winona, Rushford, Brownsdale, Mankato and Saint Peter. 

She is also convening two export summits – one in Rochester and another in the Twin Cities.  Both export summits are designed to highlight services and support available for small businesses wanting to begin or expand their export business.  The Twin Cities summit features Fred Hochberg, the Chairman/CEO of the U.S. Export-Import Bank, the federal government’s official export credit agency. 

“For the past few months, I’ve traveled around the state to work with our innovative small businesses that are creating new jobs and holding their own in a tough economy,” said Klobuchar. “I believe the agenda in Washington needs to match the determination of the workers I’ve met and focus on how to create jobs by promoting our homegrown businesses.”

Minnesota’s 120,000 small businesses account for more than half of the state’s private-sector employment, and their job growth rate exceeds that of large businesses. 

“The success of Minnesota’s small businesses is vital to the success of Minnesota’s overall economy,” said Klobuchar.  “Small businesses are engines of job creation.  Nationally, they were responsible for an estimated 64 percent of net new jobs during the past 15 years. Small businesses have led our economy out of past recessions, and we need them to do it again.”

Klobuchar is a member of the Senate Commerce Committee and serves as chair of the Subcommittee on Competitiveness, Innovation and Exports.