TTSI President and Co-founder Vic La Rosa spoke at the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce Luncheon that focused on building small businesses and integrating environmentally friendly technologies to the industry.
The following excerpt from the Long Beach Press Telegram by Karen Robes Meeks:
Rep. Janice Hahn on Tuesday spoke about the role of small businesses in the economy and the need to raise awareness about the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
At the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2013 National Leaders Luncheon Series at the Westin, the San Pedro congresswoman said that small businesses are key to turning around an economy still recovering from the downturn, especially in Long Beach where the unemployment rate hovers around 11 percent, higher than the 7.9 percent national rate, Hahn said.
Hahn said she introduced a bill that would shorten loan applications to make it easier for small businesses to access capital.
Hahn also praised the PortTech Los Angeles “incubator” program that nurtures and promotes tech firms that can help those in the industry solve their environmental and regulatory issues.
Inspired by that 'great success story,' Hahn introduced a bill to create business incubators at every port in the country.
"We don’t have to choose between good jobs and clean air; we can have both," she said. "Let’s share what we know with other ports in the country to get businesses growing that can support our ports."