When Congressman Fred Upton returns home to the 6th Congressional District, he routinely visits a different school in the region every week and he is a familiar face on the factory floor, offices and shops of small businesses all across the district. He turns up at many business events including gatherings such as Chamber Business After Hours events, Young Professionals outings and similar business functions to take the pulse of the business community. It is that dedication and attention to detail that has earned the St. Joseph Congressman the recognition of the National Federation of Independent Business — the NFIB for short — and their Guardian award.
Upton was awarded the NFIB’s “Guardian of Small Business” honor Thursday in Washington, D.C.
Upton responded by saying, “This is a big honor.” He added, “Small businesses are leading the way in job-creation, economic growth, and incredible innovations. Here in Southwest Michigan I regularly meet with our local small business owners to hear what’s on their mind. My goal is to always champion bipartisan policies that spur local growth and economic opportunities. That’s when our small businesses thrive.”
Juanita Duggan is President & Chief Executive Officer of the National Federation of Independent Business. She says, “The NFIB Guardian of Small Business Award is presented to Members of Congress who truly vote as champions of small business.” Duggan adds, “Those who earn this recognition in the House of Representatives have been staunch supporters on the issues that are critical to the success of small business, like tax cuts, regulatory reform, and lower healthcare costs. They are the representatives small business owners can count on as advocates in Washington, and we’re proud to award these lawmakers the recognition they earned for the 115th Congress.”
Duggan presents the award to Upton in the photo accompanying this story on Moody on the Market. Fred is no stranger to the award having won it multiple times over the course of his political career on behalf of the business community in Michigan’s Great Southwest.
