Sen. Warner and Maria Contreras-Sweet, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration, visited an independent bookstore in Alexandria to mark Small Business Saturday, a nationwide initiative to celebrate small, locally-owned businesses during the holiday weekend.

The six-year-old Hooray for Books! children’s bookstore was launched by Ellen Klein. Her business is a go-to resource for local schools and book clubs while hosting about 300 events each year. The business has created more than a dozen jobs, and Hooray for Books! recently kicked-off an effort to double the size of the store to 4,000 square feet.     

“Small businesses like Ellen’s are key drivers of our local economies, and start-ups and small businesses are powering the economic recovery,” Sen. Warner said. “These are the important locally-owned businesses which support local schools and clubs, hire local residents and contribute so much to economic diversity and strength. My visit with Ellen and SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet reinforces my commitment to make sure we in Congress continue to work to help small businesses like this one scale-up and prosper.”