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MARQUETTE -- U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow continued her visit to the Upper Peninsula Saturday with a small business roundtable in Marquette.

Hosted by Northern Initiatives, around a dozen business owners gathered to learn more about the financial burden on small businesses. The actual discussion was closed to the public. Stabenow said she is proud of the work Northern Initiatives does. Most recently, the organization approved seven loans as part of their 7A Community Advantage Program.

Affordable health care for employees was among the topics discussed.

"What we're anxious to do is to get the health care exchange set up that's going to create more competition between companies, insurance companies, so that smaller businesses can get a cheaper rate on their insurance. Right now, big companies can negotiate a better deal than a small business," said Stabenow.

This is the second roundtable talk Stabenow has attended in Marquette.