“Tamarack Air asked my office to get involved after a State Department permitting process that typically takes two or three months had dragged on longer than six months,” said Rehberg.  “Small businesses are the backbone of Montana’s economy and shouldn’t be subjected to cumbersome red tape that threatens their ability to do business and create jobs.  I leaned on the State Department to shoot straight with Tamarack Air and approve the export permit that is so vital to their company.”

            Most of Tamarack Air’s business is international, requiring the company to apply for an export certificate, costing $3,200, from the State Department.  The State Department’s inability to efficiently process the company’s request could’ve resulted in the $1 million contract’s cancellation, according to company officials.

            “We want Montana products to be exported all over the world,” added Rehberg.  “Tamarack Air is doing just that and the government shouldn’t be standing in the way.”

Tamarack Air partners with Billings-based Billings Flying Service to overhaul and refurbish helicopters to be used to fight fires that sell for $175,000 to $300,000 each.  Each company stood to lose as many as 10 jobs each if the contract with Leading Edge Aviation of South Africa had been cancelled.  Many Tamarack mechanics make $20 an hour or more.

“The federal government should never stand in the way of private sector job creation, rather, Congress needs to do all it can to foster an environment where small businesses can prosper,” said Rehberg.   “I saw the State Department’s red tape as an immediate threat to local economies in Montana and wanted to get involved.  Obviously, the more contracts companies like Billings Flying Service and Tamarack Air get, the more jobs they create.”