Schatz Hosts Hawai‘i’s Navatek At Meeting With Majority Leader Harry Reid

WASHINGTON–Navatek CEO Martin Kao and Kupu CEO John Leong joined 14 companies from a dozen states to share their success stories on creating jobs in their communities with Democratic senators today. These businesses and organizations from across the country met with nearly 20 senators, including Majority Leader Harry Reid and Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee Chairman Mark Begich, to highlight how small and medium-sized businesses have continued to create jobs and strengthen economies in their communities.

“It is important that Senators from across the nation have the opportunity to hear from Hawai‘i’s top businesses as leading job creators and models for our country. These companies are critical to ensuring economic growth and getting our economy back on track,” said Senator Brian Schatz. “I welcome Mr. Kao and Mr. Leong to the United States Senate and am glad they are here with us today to discuss how they have weathered the economic storm.”

“I want to thank Senator Schatz for giving me the opportunity to meet with Senator Harry Reid and Senate leadership to highlight Navatek’s work,” said CEO Martin Kao. “Our company is centered primarily on world-class, leading edge fluid dynamics software and the sciences of sustainable energy and energy efficiency of local motion. Navatek is recognized as a global leader and vital part of Hawai‘i’s small but strong high tech industry.  I am honored to share our success story with United States Senators from across our nation and learn from top job creators during tough economic times.”

Navatek is part of Pacific Marine, a Hawai‘i company founded in 1944 that includes the state’s largest commercial ship repair company and is a significant local employer with over 350 employees. 

Today’s meeting was hosted by the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee. The Committee facilitates an ongoing conversation between Senate Democrats and the American public. At the direction of the Chairman, the Committee seeks to inform, engage, and mobilize advocacy groups and constituencies to advance the policies and priorities of the Senate Democratic Caucus. The Committee is dedicated to ensuring that diverse communities have a voice within the Democratic Caucus on key issues facing our nation. The Committee is one of two Democratic Leadership Committees in the Senate.

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