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Steve Monroe's article on the Germantown Innovation Center, which opened on Oct. 20 as the latest expansion of the county's Business Innovation Network, accurately illustrated Montgomery County's commitment to help small businesses grow in the region, even as a troublesome financial climate looms ("Nine companies join new $5M Germantown incubator," Oct. 22 article).

Speaking as one of the GIC's nine current tenants, the facilities and programs the county provides are exactly what our firm needs to gain a footing, grow and create jobs in the county.

And the grand opening couldn't have come at a better time.

Nearly all the speakers mentioned the recent developments in the national and global economy, adding that the BIN has a special role in helping small biotech startups meet those challenges. Sure, we're all going to feel the pinch. But thanks in large part to the GIC and the BIN, several small firms' chances of growing and repaying our region have leapt.

Some of these startups will play a role providing solutions for larger firms seeking to cut costs during the coming months. Joinn Laboratories, for example, will be helping pharmaceutical and biotech firms perform low-cost, high-quality Good Laboratory Practice lab work for early-stage drug development and non-clinical research.

With gloomy economic clouds on the horizon, we are heartened to have the county as a friend to small business.

Dr. John Gong, Germantown

The writer is vice president and chief technical officer of Joinn Laboratories, a contract research organization based in China, which is opening its first U.S. office at the Germantown Innovation Center on Montgomery College's Germantown campus.