From West Palm Beach to 2nd Street in Fort Pierce, and historic downtown Stuart to Port St Lucie’s Port District—what keeps the Treasure Coast running has always been our small businesses. They operate Main Street restaurants, grow fresh produce, captain charter boats, and bring fresh ideas to our communities, pouring their heart and soul into everything that makes our local businesses, local. 

Last year during National Small Business Week, we highlighted one Florida-owned-and-operated businesses—Master Chief Walter Evans and Chief Rita Evans of Port St. Lucie—two retired Navy sailors who turned their service-oriented work ethic into a Kona Ice franchise. Their story is one of so many Americans who built a business, hire locally, and bring earnings right back into their community. 

In Congress, Republicans have been creating new laws to support businesses like Kona Ice across the country. In the tax cuts bill passed last year, roughly 12 million small businesses saw tax reductions by nearly $7,000 on average. And with the permanent extension of the 20 percent small business deduction, we saw 8 million American entrepreneurs get much needed relief with an average of $4,600 in tax cuts.