Op-ed: Made in America, built on Main Street

Columnists

By Annie Spilman (SBA Regional Administrator ¡V South Central)

Oct 22, 2026

Across Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, small manufacturers are the heartbeat of our local economies. For the "mom-and-pop" shops that power our towns, operating on thin margins means every single penny counts. From the desktop computers in an office to the front-end loaders on a factory floor, business owners invest in every piece of machinery used to make goods and create local jobs. When we help these small businesses, we help everyone¡Xbecause for these owners, their employees are like family members.

That is why the U.S. Department of Commerce¡¦s 2026 Manufacturing Incentives Overview Report arrives at such a critical moment. It provides a clear roadmap of federal and state resources designed to lower costs and strengthen production on Main Street.

Access to funding is a top priority for growing producers. Through the SBA¡¦s 7(a) loan program, small manufacturers can now access guarantees on loans up to $5 million. This includes the Manufacturers¡¦ Access to Revolving Credit (MARC) program¡Xthe SBA¡¦s first-ever loan offering dedicated specifically to manufacturers¡Xalong with specialized lines for working capital. These tools are further bolstered by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), which allows small firms to deduct 100% of qualified capital investments up to $2,500,000 per taxable year. Additionally, rural Qualified Opportunity Zones now offer enhanced capital gains deferrals to help fund facility expansions in our rural industrial corridors.

However, funding alone cannot solve the headache of complicated regulations. To a small business owner, burdensome "red tape" can feel like an additional tax. To combat this, our regional roundtables use the nationwide SBA Red Tape Hotline to identify federal hurdles so we can work to eliminate unnecessary barriers. At the same time, the free Make Onshoring Great Again Portal connects local shops with verified domestic suppliers to help build resilient supply chains that are proudly Made in the USA. We are also offering programs like Empower to Grow, which provides free executive coaching and technical assistance to help small manufacturers win federal contracts.

These federal tools build directly upon the strengths of our five states:

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Arkansas leaders are spearheading the nationwide $35.8 million Department of Labor Apprenticeship Fund, alongside sales tax exemptions on manufacturing energy.

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Louisiana manufacturers can benefit from the Industrial Tax Exemption Program¡¦s 80% property tax abatement for up to 10 years.

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New Mexico offers the Angel Investment Tax Credit to help fund accredited investments in manufacturing.

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Oklahoma provides a Construction Materials Sales Tax Refund alongside Investment and New Jobs Tax Credits.

Texas delivers vital state sales and use tax exemptions on manufacturing machinery and fabrication equipment.

A few thousand dollars in tax savings or reduced red tape might sound small to some, but to a small business owner, that is a lot of money. As SBA Regional Administrator, I invite manufacturers across our five states to connect with our Resource Partners¡Xincluding Small Business Development Centers, Women¡¦s Business Centers, Veterans Business Outreach Centers, and SCORE¡Xand visit manufacturing.gov. Together, we can cut through the red tape, expand domestic production, and usher in a golden age for American manufacturing.