Minnesota Business Owner to Testify in Front of Congress on Capital Hill
October 30, 20
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For more information, contact:
John Wooden, River Valley Power & Sport Inc
(651) 267-3461 / john.wooden@rivervalleyinc.com
River Valley Companies
(651) 388-7000 - rivervalleymarine.com
Minnesota Business Owner to Testify in Front of Congress on Capital Hill
Minneapolis, Minn. – River Valley Companies President, John Wooden, was invited by the Congress of the United States House of Representatives Committee on Small Businesses to testify at a hearing titled “Force of Nature: The Power of Small Business in America’s Recreational Infrastructure”. The hearing is scheduled to take place Wednesday, October 30, 2019 at the Rayburn House Office Building on Capital Hill in Washington, DC.
Discussed will be the role small businesses play in the outdoor recreation economy and the federal government’s role in supporting the industry’s continued economic expansion. Mr. Wooden’s five-minute presentation will cover the impact outdoor recreation plays on the economy. His mission is gain awareness that the boating industry plays a massive part in the U.S. economy and improve recreational infrastructure.
Just last month, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released an updated report reaffirming the outdoor recreation’s role as a significant economic driver, generating $778 billion in gross economic output and supporting 5.2 million American jobs, while outpacing the overall U.S. economy. Boating and fishing are the top contributor to outdoor recreation’s economic prowess, which comes as no surprise considering 141 million Americans take to the water each year. In Minnesota alone, the boating economy generates $3.1 billion in economic activity, supporting nearly 11,000 jobs and 700 marine businesses in the state.
For the first time, BEA’s work was expanded to measure outdoor recreation’s economic impact in each state, finding that it accounts for 2.6 percent of Minnesota’s GDP. While this report serves as an invaluable tool for policy-making decisions at every level of government, the one key takeaway is that recreation is an economic necessity in Minnesota and in every state across the nation. As a testament to the growing outdoor recreation and boating industries, River Valley recently opened an all-new marine center in Rochester and is soon to be expanding at its Lake Minnetonka location.
Proposed action will include improvements to the recreational infrastructure and enact a more comprehensive approach to federal infrastructure policy that address outdoor recreation needs. Including the importance of establishing federal funding for this cause. Each of the priorities are further detailed in Mr. Wooden’s written testimony which can be found on River Valley Marine’s website.
River Valley Companies, owns and operates seven retail locations across Minnesota and is celebrating its 24th year in business this year. Divisions of the company include River Valley Marine with locations on Lake Minnetonka, Red Wing and Rochester along with River Valley Power & Sport that has locations in Red Wing and Rochester. River Valley Marine is a prestigious Boating Industry Top 100 marine dealer. They have quickly become Minnesota’s largest volume marine dealer, top BRP Evinrude dealer in North America, Yamaha Watercraft’s largest Jet Boat dealer in the US, Bennington’s largest dealer in the world, Monterey Boats 2nd largest dealer in North America, and a Top 10 Centurion/Supreme dealer. With a combined staff of over 100 dedicated individuals, River Valley is positioned well for future growth and success.
See the full video of the house hearing HERE
