American Investment Council
06/15/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/15/2021 09:45
ICYMI – Sen. Tim Scott Highlights Private Equity Investment at Punchbowl News Event
ICYMI - Sen. Tim Scott Highlights Private Equity Investment at Punchbowl News Event
Last week, the American Investment Council hosted the first of a two-part series with Punchbowl News examining how private capital is investing in businesses and supporting sectors across the U.S. economy. Punchbowl News Founder Anna Palmer interviewed Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) about how private equity is supporting businesses across South Carolina. Palmer also spoke with AIC President Drew Maloney and Illinois-based Intelligent Medical Objects CEO Ann Barnes about how private equity is making investments in modernizing health care data and supporting businesses as they recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Watch highlights of the event below.
Private Equity is Investing in South Carolina
A recent report released by the American Investment Council shows that private equity directly invested $6.05 billion in businesses across South Carolina in 2020. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) discussed how these investments have been critical to the economy in his state, 'I think we'll see a lot of growth in opportunity zones and frankly in private equity in job creation in my state. 168,000 jobs are supported by private equity. Frankly, I think that number is only going to climb very quickly … I'm excited about the future of private equity in South Carolina.'
Private Equity is Modernizing Health Care Data & Records
Ann Barnes, CEO of the Illinois-based health information company Intelligent Medical Objects, discussed how private equity is helping her business and the health care sector modernize outdated technology and data collection. According to Barnes, 'private equity is playing an enormous role across that health care data spectrum, across the health care technology spectrum that is helping health care move forward in a much quicker way. None of these companies, including my own, would have the ability or financial backing or the longer view to be able to do that without strong investors and financial acumen behind them.'
Private Equity Supports Jobs and Businesses in Every State and Congressional District
American Investment Council President & CEO Drew Maloney also spoke with Anna Palmer, discussing the results of a recently released report showing that private equity invests in every state and Congressional district across the country. According to Maloney, 'last year we invested more than $650 billion in communities across the country. 86 percent of those investments went to companies with 500 or less employees, and a third were less than ten employees.'
Intelligent Medical Objects is Helping Women Get Back into the Workforce
Finally, Anna Palmer questioned Ann Barnes about the declining rates of women in the workforce and how Intelligent Medical Objects is working to help women navigate professional and personal obligations. According to Barnes, 'we're now down to 57 percent of women in the workforce. That is the lowest level since 1988 … we're (Intelligent Medical Objects) focused on making sure that we provide a customized program called return ship that helps women get back into the workforce in a flexible way that helps them balance both the pulls at home and the pulls in the workforce. We don't want to lose all these smart women. We want to find ways to bring them back.'
Click here to learn more about how private equity is investing in businesses in every state and Congressional district.