Traveling North Missouri

Dear Friend,

One of my favorite things to do during my time in the district is visit the folks who make North Missouri tick. These are the manufacturers, the small business owners and the community leaders who help their communities thrive. They know exactly what Congress needs to be doing in order for them to succeed. That's why visiting with them is so important. It's not about me telling them what I think they need from Washington or what we've done. It's about me hearing what they need from Washington and then taking that back to the Capitol.

Last week, I got to spend some time in Northeast Missouri. It was a great pleasure to tour the General Mills facility in Hannibal. They just completed a major expansion and now, all the Progresso soup that you find in your pantry is made at that plant. They also make Old El Paso taco shells as well as Hamburger Helper and Nature's Valley Chewy granola bars. It's amazing what is made right here in North Missouri!

I also met with a group of community leaders from across the district to discuss rural broadband at Ralls County Electric Cooperative in New London. The lack of reliable, high speed internet service is a major issue in North Missouri and it's one that has to be fixed. These folks, including the electric co-ops, economic development groups, Missouri Farm Bureau and others, have been working diligently on this issue and it was helpful to hear from them what needs to be done on the federal level to ensure that our rural areas have equal access to broadband.

Finally, it was an absolute honor for me to visit Trailerman Trailers in Louisiana, MO. Charlie and Mary Perkins started manufacturing trailers out of a shop behind their house just over 20 years ago. Now, they have a state of the art facility, almost 50 employees, a thriving small business and they just gave out bonuses to their employees as a result of the tax cuts plan that we passed in December! This family business is the epitome of the American Dream. It was a thrill to visit with their employees, family members and friends as well as tour their facility.

The 6th District consists of 36 counties. Several of those counties are large, but many small. It's a priority of mine to get to every corner of the district. Every time I do, I always learn something new. That's the best way for me to represent you.

Sincerely,

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Sam Graves