NFIB member Kristen Ranker enjoyed the opportunity of a lifetime on Tax Day. The owner of Schaeffer’s Corner Market in Ruffs Dale, Penn., shared the stage with 14 fellow business owners and President Trump in a roundtable discussion of the economy and tax reform in Burnsville, Minn.
Ranker was seated next to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who listened intently as the small business owner described how she employs a total of five people — including herself.
Ranker explained that she tends to hire high school and college students for whom the job is not a career. She sees it as her duty to instill in them the value of customer service and hard work. That’s one way a small operation has a lasting impact. Ranker is also proud to act as a supplier to the bigger businesses in the area and play a critical role in the local economy.
For businesses of such a modest size, tax relief can be a life saver, and Ranker let the president know it. “Because of the small business tax deduction,” she told the president. “…I was actually able to continue to sustain the business that I have… Because it has been rough for us… So, with those breaks and those things … I actually get to sell them their milk, bread, eggs, and cheese, and I’m kind of happy with that.”
Trump nodded in agreement as she spoke, thanking her for her comments. Earlier he had observed how much the business environment has improved thanks to tax reform, with small businesses being created as a result. “The total number of new business applications in Minnesota has skyrocketed — skyrocketed to almost 20 percent,” he said. “And that’s just in a very short period of time. It’s been really pretty amazing. It’s been pretty amazing.”
The White House had selected Ranker to participate in the Tax Day event based on her company’s background and how she’s gotten it to where it is today.