Joe Kimray, owner of B&W Hardware, Co. in historic downtown Wake Forest, recently made the trip to Washington, D.C. after receiving an unexpected invitation to attend the White House’s National Small Business Week celebration — and he brought Wake Forest’s voice with him.
Kimray said the call caught him off guard. “Ironically, when the call came through to my cell phone, the signal was poor, and I was only able to hear some of the request,” he said. But the message was clear enough: he was being invited to celebrate National Small Business Week with the nation’s leaders in Washington.
Joe Kimray, owner of B&W Hardware Co. in downtown Wake Forest, outside the White House during National Small Business Week. (Submitted photo)
President Trump proclaimed May 4–10 as National Small Business Week, recognizing the critical role small businesses play in the American economy. The U.S. has 33 million small businesses employing 61.7 million Americans — nearly half of the private-sector workforce — and responsible for creating almost two out of every three new jobs in the country.
Kimray said he was “honored to be included in this celebration, and excited to share and discuss the issues that affect small businesses across the nation.”
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Beyond the White House ceremony, Kimray was part of a select group of just five retailers from across the country who met with Small Business Committees from both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. Together with fellow retailers and the National Retail Federation, they discussed key policy issues facing small businesses — from tariffs and credit card processing fees to the Working Families Tax Cut Act.
“I relish this opportunity to celebrate, but also advocate about policies that affect us, and our great customers — which means, from a national perspective, most everyone in the country,” Kimray said.
B&W Hardware has been a fixture of downtown Wake Forest for 76 years. Kimray summed up the Washington experience simply: “It’s an honor to be a voice for retail, as well as being able to stand up for the issues that matter — both here in Wake Forest, and around the country!”
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Joe Kimray does a GREAT job representing the small business community and our wonderful town of Wake Forest, NC. Thanks Joe.
Was Mr. Kimray supporting or advocating any policy in Washington?