* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [Small Business Industry Day]
          [00:00:05]
          WE HERE FOLLOW VERY FIRST INDUSTRY DAY. 
          INDUSTRY DAY IS WHEN WE BRING SMALL BUSINESSES TO MEET LARGER BUSINESSES AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO BE ABLE TO DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS AND DO BUSINESS. 
          SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE HERE TODAY INCLUDE VEOLIA, INCLUDES THE, UH, CORE, UH, ENGINEERS. 
          IT INCLUDES JEFFERSON PARISH, IT'S GOVERNMENT, UH, THEIR PURCHASING DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS MANY OTHER, UH, COMPANIES THAT CAME HERE TO GET TO MEET PEOPLE. 
          WE HERE BECAUSE WE WANT TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES. 
          WE WANT TO HELP THEM GROW, AND WE WANT TO GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET PEOPLE CAN HELP THEM GROW. 
          HAVING AN INDUSTRY DAY WHERE YOU PAIR, UM, LARGE CORPORATIONS WITH SMALLER CORPORATIONS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT TOOL. 
          SMALL BUSINESSES ARE THE BACKBONE OF OUR COMMUNITY. 
          THEY HIRE PEOPLE, THEY PAY SALES TAXES, THEY OFFER STABILITY FOR OUR ECONOMY. 
          OFTEN TIMES, SMALL BUSINESSES DON'T GET ACCESS TO LARGER BUSINESSES TO DO BUSINESS. 
          SO THIS INDUSTRY DAY, WHICH IS THE COUNCILMAN'S, HERS OFFICIAL DAY, ALTHOUGH HE'S BEEN DOING THIS HIS ENTIRE LIFE, THIS IS A FORMALIZED INAUGURAL EVENT THAT IS MASSIVE WITH TONS OF VENDORS AND TONS OF BUSINESS PEOPLE TO COME OUT, LEARN HOW TO DO BUSINESS WITH JEFFERSON PARISH, LEARN HOW TO DO BUSINESS WITH THE, UH, THE, THE VARIOUS AGENCIES. 
          RATHER, IT'S GETTING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION OR WORKING WITH THE PORT, OR WORKING WITH THE US CORPS OF ENGINEERS, OR BEING ABLE TO JUST GET ON THE VENDOR LIST FOR JEFFERSON PARISH TO BE ABLE TO SELL THEIR PRODUCTS. 
          FINANCING IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MANY SMALL BUSINESSES ARE ALWAYS IN NEED OF, BUT MORE THAN ANYTHING, THEY'RE, THEY NEED INFORMATION, THEY NEED ACCESS. 
          THEY NEED TO KNOW ALL OF THE AGENCIES THAT THEY CAN CONTACT TO BE ABLE TO, UH, PROCURE SERVICES OR TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICES OR JUST TO BE ABLE TO BID. 
          UH, LOUISIANA STATE, LOUISIANA HAS AN AGENCY WHERE IT'S A STATE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT AND MANY PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT. 
          SO OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO EDUCATE THEM ON HOW TO GET REGISTERED, NOT ONLY FOR THERE, BUT ALSO WITH OLI AND, AND WELL THE, UH, CORPS OF ENGINEERS AND EVERY AGENCY, OUR STATE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS THE GOOD PEOPLE WHO ARE OVER AT DOTD, UH, WHICH HELP PEOPLE TO BECOME DBE CERTIFIED. 
          AND SO WE WANT TO CONNECT THEM. 
          THESE KIND OF EXPOS GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL OF THE MOVING PARTS TO BE IN THE SAME ROOM, UH, TO BUILD THE TYPE OF NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE THEIR BUSINESS, OUR BUSINESS AND OUR BUSINESS, THEIR BUSINESS. 
          AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.