Allegra Network’s Steve White Serves as Franchising Ambassador on Capitol Hill

Posted on October 12, 2010 by Jessica Dees

COO of Leading Marketing, Print and Graphic Communications Company Advocates the Importance of Franchising in Local Communities

NORTHVILLE, Mich. – Steve White, Chief Operating Officer of Allegra Network LLC, joined 500 franchise leaders in Washington, D.C. on September 13 – 14 to demonstrate the importance of franchising in the U.S. economy.

The 11th annual International Franchise Association (IFA) Public Affairs Conference brought more than 500 franchisors, franchisees and suppliers to Washington to lobby Congress on issues important to franchising such as access to credit, tax laws, health care and labor policies.

\"As a 25-year veteran of franchising, I’ve seen tremendous positive growth and changes in the industry,\" said White, who has been with Allegra Network for more than 16 years. \"I’m proud to represent Allegra Network and the franchising industry by meeting with lawmakers to stress the importance of franchising in the United States and to stand up for the issues that are currently facing our business community.\"

A few notable accomplishments achieved during White’s time in Washington with IFA members include:

• Credit Access: Senate passed the Small Business Jobs Act, which would increase the loan limits for Small Business Administration 7 (a) loans from $2 million to $5 million and extend the 90 percent SBA loan guarantee through 2010. The Senate’s version of the Small Business Jobs Act has since gone back to the House, where it was passed.
• Economic Impact of Franchising: Reporting comprehensive data on franchise businesses for the first time, the U.S. Census Bureau published a report on September 14, based on data collected on franchise businesses since 2007. This is a result of a partnership between the U.S. Census Bureau and IFA that focused on measuring the role of franchising in the economy.

According to a study conducted for the IFA Educational Foundation by PricewaterhouseCoopers on the economic impact of franchising, there are more than 900,000 franchised businesses in operation across the country, which are indirectly responsible for providing 21 million jobs and generating $2.3 trillion in economic output.