On Feb. 18, Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet, the head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will visit Tacoma, joined by Congressman Denny Heck.

She will highlight the benefits of international trade and exporting for small businesses and other companies in the area. President Barack Obama is promoting several major trade agreements that will open up new markets for Washington’s small businesses.

She will visit Flex-A-Lite in Tacoma, a small business that has benefited from SBA products and programs.  After that, she will host a roundtable to discuss international trade with business and community leaders in the Tacoma area.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created in 1953 as an independent agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation. We recognize that small business is critical to our economic recovery and strength, to building America’s future, and to helping the United States compete in today’s global marketplace. Although SBA has grown and evolved in the years since it was established in 1953, the bottom line mission remains the same. The SBA helps Americans start, build and grow businesses. Through an extensive network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations, SBA delivers its services to people throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U. S. Virgin Islands and Guam.