A Schuylkill County businessman testified on Feb. 28 in Washington, D.C., at the invitation of U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-9, before the House Committee on Small Business as part of a hearing entitled, “From Nothing to Something: The Story of the American dream.”

Roy Heim, founder and owner of Heim Construction Co., Orwigsburg, joined three other small business owners from across the country at the hearing, which highlighted the challenges faced by small businesses, including inflation, workforce issues, regulatory burdens, supply chain issues and access to capital.

“This committee seeks to be a voice for Main Street America, in Washington,” said House Small Business Committee Chairman Roger Williams, R-Texas. “As job creators, you are the driving force of our nation’s economy, accounting for more than half the payroll of this entire country. More importantly, you are the backbone of your local communities, though many of your struggles often go unnoticed.”

“Roy embodies the spirit of the American entrepreneur and has spent over 30 years building his successful business despite many challenges along the way,” Meuser said in his introduction.

During his testimony, Heim discussed American entrepreneurship. In 1991, he started as a small general contractor. Heim Construction is a full-service general contracting, design-build, and construction management firm that builds commercial, industrial, institutional, and residential facilities, employing 95 workers.

“Over many years that we have been in business, a number of federal and state regulatory requirements surrounding the construction industry has also grown significantly,” Heim said. “We spend an enormous amount of time and money to stay compliant, employing 15 full-time employees in our office who work countless hours to ensure we remain in compliance with the forever changing regulations. Many of these laws and regulations, while well intended, make it much more difficult, if not impossible, for small business to comply, complete and survive, let alone profit.”

Heim is on the Blue Mountain School Board and is the appointed vocational tech board member for the Blue Mountain in Schuylkill County, where he graduated and was a carpentry student.