Regulations can hurt businesses. Federal government met with 30+ in Knoxville to learn how
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Regulations can hurt businesses. Federal government met with 30+ in Knoxville to learn how
The U.S. Small Business Administration met with more than 30 Knoxville business owners. The SBA is trying to bridge the gap between entrepreneurs and the federal government. SBA representatives toured both Navus and BioPet Laboratories to get a firsthand look at some of the struggles small businesses are facing. “I left (the round table) really happy because I felt like the stuff we’re dealing with, we’re not dealing with it alone,” Navus owner Sam Lawless said. “It’s the first time we’ve had federal people visit us,” BioPet CEO J.J. Retinger said of the SBA visit. “Our job is to talk to small businesses, find out what’s going on and bring that to Washington,” SBA official Michael Vallante said. ‘I hate saying, ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help’, but I really am,’ Vallante added. ‘We’ve got to make it easier on businesses,’ SBA regional administrator Tyler Teresa said.
Navus is an automation solutions company with federal contracts but is struggling to stay afloat while navigating regulations.
The SBA is working to bridge the gap between entrepreneurs and the federal government by chatting with owners and bringing back what they learn to Washington.
On the back roads of Hardin Valley, an automated robot being designed for the Department of Defense sits tucked away in a warehouse.
Navus is a family-run automation solutions company with only 25 employees, yet it finds ways to secure national-level contracts. Sam Lawless, the business development manager, led two federal representatives through the back of the warehouse to explain what his father’s company is all about.
Two representatives from the U.S. Small Business Administration, Michael Vallante and Tyler Teresa, met with more than 30 Knoxville business owners at a round-table discussion about the roadblocks and pitfalls from federal regulations that can hinder small businesses.
“I hate saying, ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help’, but I really am,” Teresa, the SBA regional administrator, told Knox News.
Teresa and Vallante toured both Navus and BioPet Laboratories, a biotechnology company specializing in canine DNA, to get a firsthand look at some of the struggles small businesses are facing.
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Lawless’ father started Navus in 1998 as a full-blown automation manufacturing company. The company has smaller, local contracts, but it’s the contract with the Department of Defense that has been keeping Navus in business since 2007.
Lawless turned to show Teresa and Vallante the robot, which streamlines welding for U.S. Navy submarine missiles. Before Navus’ work automated the process, welders would be lowered 40 feet into a metal pipe being heated to 350 degrees.
Each welder wore a heat-resistant suit and worked for as long as they could handle − only about five minutes − before switching to another worker, Lawless said. Navus effectively shortened a dangerous, complicated process that took about eight months down to just three.
Funding massive projects is difficult, Lawless said, but working with people at the SBA will hopefully free up money to help keep Navus in business.
“I felt like we’ve kind of been suffering in silence,” Lawless said. “I left (the round table) really happy because I felt like the stuff we’re dealing with, we’re not dealing with it alone. A lot of other small businesses are dealing with it.”
Teresa said the SBA exists to be an advocate for businesses like Navus and BioPet. The roadblocks businesses hit aren’t always seen in Washington, D.C., and he hopes to help bridge the gap.
“We’ve got to make it easier on businesses. Some federal regulations are harming small businesses, and that’s because someone in D.C. created them, and they’re not here talking to people,” Teresa said. “So, that’s why it’s important to actually hear from these businesses directly to see what they’re dealing with and what issues need to be lifted to help them.”
J Retinger is the CEO of BioPet Laboratories, which specializes in their signature “PooPrints” that determine which dog’s owner is being irresponsible. If someone in a residential complex doesn’t pick up after their pet, sending a sample to Retinger’s company can help solve the mystery.
BioPet, which has 49 employees, runs into federal roadblocks when dealing with customs and trying to secure loans, he said. Figuring out a way around can feel a lot like talking to a wall, but discussions with SBA representatives help them see a path forward.
“It’s the first step in the relationship, and now having a name and a face who have seen what we do, I think it’s a huge step,” Retinger said. “It’s the first time we’ve had federal people visit.”
Vallante said there’s a fine line between success and failure for entrepreneurs, and the SBA wants to help make sure the government tips the scales toward success.
“Our job is to talk to small businesses, find out what’s going on, and bring that back up to Washington,” he said.
Knox News reporter Joanna Hayes covers restaurants and retail for the business growth and development team. Email: joanna.hayes@knoxnews.com; Instagram: @knoxeat65. Sign up for Joanna’s Eat65 email newsletter to get the latest drink and dining news, as well as restaurant recommendations at knoxnews.com/newsletters.
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