Regulator Marine meets with Pres. Bush

EDENTON, N.C. – Regulator Marine Inc. founders Joan and Owen Maxwell, along with two new employees, were invited to meet with President George W. Bush at the White House as part of an economic event held July 2, the company said in a statement today.

Regulator was one of four companies selected from across the country to meet with the president and to be part of a major televised press event that spotlighted recent small business success stories.

The company’s hiring of 20 employees over the past six months, coupled with its planned reinvestment of $750,000 in manufacturing equipment, was cited by the president, who noted the connection between “good tax policy and decision making,” with the resulting tax relief helping lead to more jobs.

Regulator has continued to manage its growth, posting a 15-percent increase in unit sales in 2004. The company now operates from an approximately 60,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Edenton that employs 149 team members.

The president also praised Regulator’s initiative with a local community college – College of the Albemarle in Edenton, NC – for training and job development, the company said.

“One of the interesting things the Maxwells have done – and I really appreciate this – is that they teamed up with a local community college to devise a course to train them for people coming into their industry – the boat manufacturing industry.” Bush said. “That’s a wise, wise use of a very important community asset, which is the community college. I appreciate your spirit. Thanks for hiring people.”

Recreational Fishing Alliance recommends Regulator

Regulator received a call from a presidential staff member on June 30, who invited the Maxwells to meet with the president. The invitation was confirmed later that day by the White House Liaison’s Office. Regulator’s recommendation came from the Recreational Fishing Alliance.

“We were thrilled – we couldn’t believe that we were going to get an opportunity to talk with the leader of the Free World,” said Joan Maxwell, Regulator co-founder and president.

After arriving at the White House, the Maxwells were taken to the Roosevelt Room, where they met personally with President Bush, who asked about how fishing was off of North Carolina and about their business overall. He then took the group of business owners on a personal tour of the White House.

The Maxwells and their employees were then escorted to the East Room for a live 45-minute presentation by the president about the state of the U.S. economy. President Bush addressed a crowd of about 150 in attendance including members of his cabinet and other dignitaries, with his comments carried live via C-Span, the national TV cable network, with segments also airing on Fox and CNN.

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