U.S. Rep. Grace Meng coordinated a visit by U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet to Queens.

The two toured local small businesses on Bell Boulevard in Bayside, with the main stop at Bayside Milk Farm, a 38-year-old family-owned grocery market.

In her first visit to Queens, Contreras-Sweet was able to see borough businesses firsthand, and hear concerns of local small business owners.

Contreras-Sweet, who President Obama chose for the cabinet-level position earlier this year, became head of the SBA in April.

“I thank Administrator Contreras-Sweet for coming to Queens and for being a true advocate for small businesses,” said Meng. “Small businesses are the backbone of the Queens economy. Their success is critical to the prosperity of our region, and we must ensure that they have the tools they need to succeed. I’m thrilled that Administrator Contreras-Sweet was able to experience the vibrancy and success of our borough’s entrepreneurs, and I look forward to continuing to work with her to help make local small businesses the best that they can be.”

“Hearing from small business owners directly is so important to the work I do as head of the SBA,” said Contreras-Sweet. “Being able to visit communities across the country such as Bayside, where small businesses are an important part of the neighborhood character, let’s me see and hear firsthand how we can continue to grow entrepreneurship across the nation.”

“We thank Administrator Contreras-Sweet for visiting Bayside and touring our business,” said Pat Perulli and Patrick Perulli, the Co-Owners of Bayside Milk Farm. “We’re excited that she is seeing firsthand what’s going on with small businesses in Queens.”

“Thank you to Congresswoman Grace Meng for inviting SBA Administrator Contreras-Sweet to Bayside Village,” said Lyle Sclair, Executive Director of the Bayside Village BID. “Bell Boulevard is home over 140 small businesses providing a wide range of services, and every business owner has a different set of needs. Administrator Contreras-Sweet’s visit is a great opportunity to demonstrate to the federal government the types of support needed in order to make ‘Main Street’ businesses compete in this difficult economy.”