OFFICIALS PROMOTE ENTERPRISE PROGRAM

Officials with the Small Business Administration visited Cape Girardeau Thursday to promote the Enterprise Community program, a key element in President Bill Clinton's community revitalization strategy.

The program is designed to help people and government work together to enhance industrial opportunities in inner cities and rural communities to create jobs.

"The primary goal of this program is to renew the commitment of cooperation among the federal, state and local governments," said SBA official Bruce W. Kent.

Kent, accompanied by Robert L. Andrews of St. Louis, SBA's Eastern Missouri District director, and F.R. "Buz" Sutherland, director of the Small Business Development Center at Southeast Missouri State University, discussed the Enterprise Community concept and other topics.

"The Enterprise Community program is being conducted in 30 rural communities throughout the nation," said Kent.

East Prairie is one of those communities. The small, Southeast Missouri community has already attracted a manufacturing company, Jakel Inc., which produces electric motors for range hoods, microwave ovens, bathfans, heaters, humidifiers and oscillating fans.

Inner-city programs are being conducted in a number of metropolitan areas, including Kansas City and St. Louis. One of the priorities at Kansas City is the startup of an industrial park.

Included in Enterprise Community programs is making more housing and transportation available.

"It's a good program," said Kent, who was appointed to his position by Clinton in March 1984. Kent is regional administrator of the SBA's Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska region.

Kent, a lawyer and former chief executive officer of his own management company, served as chief counsel of the Department of Human Resources for the state of Kansas from 1990 to 1993. He has had ownership or hands-on management responsibilities for many companies, including hotels and restaurants.

He is traveling throughout Missouri this week to seek input from small-business owners on the status of the economy and progress of the SBA.

"Large firms generally capture more attention, but this administration has recognized that small businesses have been the driving force behind the growth of the U.S. economy in recent years," said Kent.

Small businesses contribute more than 45 percent of the gross domestic product and have been starting and expanding in Missouri as well as across the nation at a record rate, said Kent. "There are a lot of small-business success stories out there," he said.

The SBA works with small-business owners to encourage growth by providing access to capital, business education and training, and other technical information and services.

In 1995, the SBA was able to make $11.5 billion in capital available, financing more than 64,000 small businesses across the country. This compares with $7.5 billion in financing for 32,000 small business in fiscal year 1992.

A record total of 867 loans for $116.8 million were guaranteed for small businesses in eastern Missouri during fiscal year 1995, up 40 percent in volume over the previous record-high year of 1994.

The SBA, said Kent, will help businesses acquire loans up to $1.4 million. "We've had great cooperation from banking officials with our program," said Kent.

One of the popular SBA loans is the 504 loan, which calls for a 10 percent equity by the small business. The banks will loan up to 50 percent of the amount needed, and the SBA will sell debentures for the other 40 percent, said Kent.

In response to the small-business community's demand for easier access to business information, the SBA is on the Internet. Its home page may be accessed at http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov.

"We want to help entrepreneurs get in business, stay in business and grow," said Kent.