ALLENTOWN, Pa., Jan. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ALLENTOWN, PA – On Jan. 12, Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice in President Biden’s Cabinet for America’s more than 33 million small businesses, traveled to Allentown, Pennsylvania, with President Joe Biden to visit local small businesses and tour a firefighter training academy.

Upon arriving in Allentown, Administrator Guzman and President Biden joined U.S. Rep. Susan Wild and Sen. Bob Casey for visits to three local small businesses.  During their meetings with Pennsylvania entrepreneurs, the leaders discussed the Biden-Harris Administration’s small business boom, which saw 5.5 million new business applications filed in 2023 alone, bringing total filings to a record 16 million since the President took office.

Later in the day, Administrator Guzman and President Biden visited Mack Southside Fire Station and Training Academy, home to Allentown’s fire department training academy. The station was awarded money from the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants (SAFER), which funds fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations to help them increase or maintain the number of trained frontline firefighters in their communities. Administrator Guzman and President Biden were greeted by the president of the firefighters’ union and the head of the training academy before embarking on a tour of the facility.

Together, Administrator Guzman and President Biden met with firefighters and thanked them for their service to their community and country.

For follow-up interview requests for Administrator Guzman, please contact Rebecca Galanti at Rebecca.Galanti@sba.gov.

Event Photos: 
 Available on request: press_office@sba.gov

Image Description: Administrator Guzman (L) visits an Allentown small business with President Biden (R).

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About the U.S. Small Business Administration 
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit sba.gov. 

Rebecca.Galanti
U.S. Small Business Administration
202-756-0304
Rebecca.Galanti@sba.gov

Christine Saah Nazer
U.S. Small Business Administration
202-756-0304
christine.saahnazer@sba.gov

Han Nguyen
U.S. Small Business Administration
202-756-0304
han.nguyen@sba.gov

Rachael Dussuau
U.S. Small Business Administration
202-756-0304
rachael.dussuau@sba.gov