FARGO — The Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration toured Fargo on Tuesday, July 2.
SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman stopped by Grand Farm to meet with small businesses and take a stroll through Brewhalla.
“We're starting here in Brewhalla because, as you can see, there are a lot of small businesses in Brewhalla and they all reinforce each other, which is a really cool concept,” said Sen. John Hoeven (R-N. D.), who was on the tour.
It started with a stop at Thunder Coffee to get a to-go drink and talk with the owner. For Guzman, stopping in Fargo is a way to see how their program is working.
“These entrepreneurs are people who jump in and take risks and are brave enough to put in the work every day to provide the products and services that we rely on with real grit and determination. And we love it and we're addicted to this amazing coffee from Thunder Coffee and to the idea of shopping at Unglued right now. So these are amazing small business ideas that have translated into businesses that really define our neighborhoods,” Guzman said.
She said the SBA provided $90 million in loans and investments to North Dakota businesses last year.
“We're experiencing an incredible small business boom right now in North Dakota. We have 28,000 new business applications, we're seeing trends and innovations. Agricultural technology is really driving growth and food production in the state, but so are our mainstay small businesses,” Guzman said.
For the owners of the stores they visited, such as Ashley Morken, owner and founder of Unglued, it was an honor to meet the managers who helped them get to where they are today.
“We've taken advantage of a lot of their programs, including Emerging Leaders, which is now called THRIVE, SCORE, and even PPP during COVID, which basically helped us survive, so to actually meet the person in charge is really special,” Morken said.
Guzman and the others on the tour didn't leave empty-handed, either, purchasing items including candles and a miniature version of the Fargo theater sign.
“We didn't think they would shop, but they definitely did, which is really great. They were buying things that were made specifically by local Fargo makers or that featured Fargo, so it's great that they were interested in that,” Morken said.
Moken also said it was a surreal experience having Guzman come into his store and ask him questions about his experience.
“They were also interested in what the hardest thing was for us as a small business. So it's really nice to have someone who's actually listening and holding us accountable. It's really awesome,” Morken said.