Alan Givens, owner of Parrish Services in Manassas, Va., was
one of a select number of Americans invited to talk with President Barack Obama
April 15.
Givens is a member of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling
Contractors-National Association.
During the meeting in
Washington, D.C., Obama went over the tax changes recently enacted and
emphasized his commitment to providing tax cuts to Americans who need them,
while jump-starting growth and job creation in the
process.
Obama invited the people in the room to talk about
the real effects of his tax policies on their
lives.
“They’re business owners like Alan Givens, who wants
his company to sustain itself through bad times as well as the good,” Obama
said. “And I was encouraged to hear that Alan’s business is going strong on a
whole bunch of clean-energy measures that he’s helping to promote in his
area.”
When talking with the president, Givens emphasized
the efforts of the plumbing, heating and cooling industry to promote renewable energy
and support a positive environment for businesses to
succeed.
“The meeting was excellent,” Givens said.
“President Obama was glad to hear that the incentives are helping business, and
asked in particular about some stimulus package components, like weatherization,
that may benefit PHC businesses. I was able to report that I am actively
promoting the geothermal tax credits to my customers, which helps them save
money and helps my company get new business.”
Givens said
they discussed how tax credits for renewable technologies are creating jobs in
the U.S. and helping drive business opportunities for his firm and other firms
in the industry.
“The president was very pleased to learn
that my first quarter 2009 company revenues were up 85 percent, and that we
anticipate our best year ever,” Givens said. “The biggest problem facing us is
now that the stimulus bill is being enacted, how do we manage such phenomenal
growth?”
Givens, who mentors half a dozen companies across
the country, said other firms also are experiencing increases in sales and net
profits.
“It’s a matter of mindset and attitude,” he said.
“We have phenomenal services to sell to the American public. And for consumers
influenced by the ‘gloom and doom’ stories, we have answers with new tax
incentives.”
Owner meets with President Obama
June 1, 2009
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