Dear Editor,

At Triton Systems, in Chelmsford, we know first-hand the importance of the public and private sector working hand in hand to spur growth, to drive innovation and to help keep America competitive and prosperous. As a high-tech firm with a 20 year track record of developing products and launching multiple businesses that have become globally competitive, we rely on a fine balance between private and public partnerships to innovate, to create real products for the world markets and to create long term sustainable employment for a growing number of people here in Massachusetts and elsewhere.

Against a backdrop of global economic downturn and unfair competitive advantages bestowed upon our competitors in Asia, we are under increasing pressure to build a highly skilled educated labor force and to finance breakthrough ideas through research and development. Triton has worked, in partnership with the Federal government through a program called Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR). SBIR grants allow innovative firms, such as ours, to create new technologies that would not otherwise be developed if we only relied on private investment. SBIR funds are leveraged with substantial private equity investments to create new competitive products for the world stage. When the program was at risk of lapsing in 2011, due mostly to gridlock in Washington, Niki Tsongas led the charge to secure long-term reauthorization for the program so that businesses like ours would have certainty that the partnership will continue. Because of her leadership that effort was successful. Massachusetts and Merrimack Valley in particular, are beneficiaries of this public-private partnership and firms like Triton have leveraged the SBIR grants to usher in hundreds of millions of dollars of private investments into this region over the past decade.

Niki Tsongas understands the pressures small businesses face. She knows that while government cannot solve every problem we face, it can be a partner with entrepreneurs and innovators to help usher in new advances in science and technology. Niki’s leadership on SBIR has had a direct impact on jobs and growth right here in Massachusetts. I urge readers to support Niki on November 6, we can’t afford to lose her leadership in Congress and the voice she gives to the business community.

Ross Haghighat
Chairman & CEO
Triton Systems, Inc.