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Iowa SBDC Client Advances as SBA Patriot Pitch Competition Semifinalist

July 29, 2026

Plas-Tech Tooling of Garner represents Iowa among the nation's top 10 small businesses

America’s SBDC Iowa is proud to recognize Plas-Tech Tooling of Garner, Iowa, for being named one of 10 semifinalists in the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Patriot Pitch Competition.

Featuring a $1 million cash prize pool funded by Clover Network, Inc. (Clover), the national competition highlights eligible small businesses whose innovation, leadership, and growth reflect the promise of the American Dream. Out of 1,182 small businesses that submitted applications from every state across the nation, Plas-Tech Tooling advanced through district and regional judging to earn a place among the competition’s 10 semifinalists.

“The Patriot Pitch Competition is a celebration of 250 years of American free enterprise and the entrepreneurs carrying forward that legacy for our next 250 years,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. “Out of 1,182 small businesses that submitted pitches from every state across the nation, these 10 semifinalists emerged from a highly competitive process by demonstrating the ingenuity and willingness to take risks that drive economic and job growth and define American enterprise at its best. Their outsized impact reflects not only the contribution small businesses make across the country today, but also the role they are playing in driving America’s next era of growth and opportunity. We are excited to see them advance and compete for a place in the live finale in Washington this September.”

Founded by Dean and Marcia Sonquist in 1993, Plas-Tech Tooling began as a one-person operation working out of the founders’ garage, specializing in injection mold building and repair for manufacturers in the Garner area. Over the years, Plas-Tech has expanded to more than 40,000 square feet of manufacturing space on 15 acres and employs over 50 people.

Plas-Tech Tooling is a technology-driven advanced manufacturing company specializing in precision machining, injection mold design, mold building, and plastic injection molding. By combining innovative engineering, advanced CAD/CAM systems, rapid prototyping, and state-of-the-art manufacturing processes, they design, build, and produce high-quality custom plastic components and tooling solutions that help drive American industry forward. In addition, Plas-Tech Tooling provides production machining of plastic and metal components, guiding customers through the product design process, developing rapid prototypes, and utilizing advanced CAD/CAM and SOLIDWORKS technologies. Their quality assurance and reverse engineering programs are further enhanced through the use of the Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM).

Beginning in 1995, America’s SBDC Iowa has been proud to walk alongside Plas-Tech and the Sonquist family, to provide individualized business counseling, as they have grown and scaled this critical business into successful pillar of their community. The efforts of America’s SBDC Iowa helped Plas-Tech secure additional capital, increase revenues, and create new jobs.

America’s SBDC Iowa congratulates Plas-Tech Tooling on this national recognition and wishes the company continued success as it advances in the Patriot Pitch Competition.

For more information on America’s SBDC Iowa programs or services, call (515) 294-2030 or visit, https://www.facebook.com/AmericasSBDCIowa, or https://www.instagram.com/iowasbdc/.

North Dakota SBDC Helps North 9 Bar & Grill Revive Rural Community Gathering Spaces

July 22, 2026

Brian Gullickson describes himself as an entrepreneur at heart. For years, he envisioned owning a bar and restaurant that would serve as more than a business. He wanted to create a place where people gather, connect, and build community.

In 2023, he purchased and restored a bar in Kathryn, North Dakota. Through that experience, he saw firsthand how important local gathering places are in small rural towns. When historic bars and restaurants close, communities lose more than a business. They lose a place to meet.

That realization led him to look for additional communities where a bar and grill could fill a meaningful need. His search brought him to Valley City, where he took over operations of North 9 Bar & Grill, formerly a country club facility, in March 2025. After renovating the interior and stabilizing operations, he purchased the building outright in December 2025. North 9 is now open year-round, providing a consistent dining and gathering space for residents and visitors.

The restaurant offers a comfort food menu built around familiar, satisfying meals, paired with a welcoming bar atmosphere. For Gullickson, the most rewarding part of ownership is the people. He values providing local employment, interacting with customers, and building relationships that strengthen the community.

Planning Around Real Community Demand

Although Gullickson brings a background in marketing and prior ownership experience, he knew expansion required careful analysis. Through his lender, he connected with ND SBDC and worked with Southeast Center Director Paul Smith.

Together, they developed a formal business plan, completed market research and data analysis, and built financial projections to support financing. The process focused on understanding what services were already available in the area and identifying gaps North 9 could realistically fill. That clarity was instrumental in securing bank financing and gave Gullickson a stronger understanding of operational expectations.

A Model for Rural Revitalization

Running a restaurant in a smaller community presents challenges. Gullickson notes that finding reliable employees has been one of the most significant hurdles. Even so, he remains focused on steady operations and long-term sustainability.

Community response has been encouraging. Residents show up for specials, events, and entertainment. Many have expressed appreciation for the building’s facelift and the renewed investment in the property.

North 9 is not an isolated project. With assistance from the ND SBDC, Gullickson has since repeated the process in Fort Ransom, renovating and reopening another rural bar and grill. His broader vision centers on preserving the history and character of these gathering places while updating them with thoughtful improvements and restored vintage elements.

When asked what success depends on, his answer is direct: people. “Without customers and employees, you don’t have a business,” he said.

His advice to other entrepreneurs reflects his own experience. Understand the market. Identify what is missing. Do not get distracted by ego or aesthetics alone. A business succeeds when it meets a genuine community need.

For Gullickson, that mission continues. Through North 9 and future projects, he is working to ensure rural communities maintain places where neighbors can sit down, share a meal, and stay connected.

Safie Specialty Foods: How Michigan SBDC Helped a Family Business Expand Operations & Exports

July 8, 2026

Meet Mary Safie, president and owner of Safie Specialty Foods Company, Inc., a true go-getter and excellent entrepreneur who’s turning a family legacy into a modern manufacturing powerhouse.

More than just a job, this business is a century-long tradition of Michigan agriculture and pickled perfection. Located in Chesterfield Township, Macomb County, Safie Specialty Foods has expanded from a home-based startup—in the very house Mary’s grandfather began his business during the Great Depression—to a thriving enterprise, focusing on clean, natural, hand-packed specialty pickled vegetables while working with and giving back to the community. Her tenacious spirit and visionary leadership have been the driving forces behind the company’s incredible growth.

As the business grew, Mary and her dedicated team knew they needed strategic support. She relies on the exceptional talents of Chuck Drogosch, who runs Operations, and the incredible efforts of the Human Resources team, including Theresa M. Pavone and Sandra Collias. Their collective expertise and commitment are vital to the company’s success and expansion.

Seeking direction, Mary and her team turned to the Macomb County Planning and Economic Development team, who connected them with the Michigan SBDC and Business Growth Consultant Julie Oldham.

Julie began with a comprehensive assessment, helping Safie’s establish a stronger foundation and answer critical questions about growth, mission, and how the SBDC could help them achieve their goals. Julie’s extensive background in food & beverage, export and strategic analysis was instrumental in several key areas:

Financial Analysis: Securing crucial information to conduct a financial analysis to obtain a loan.
Export & International Growth: Assisting with export knowledge, connecting the company with the export community, and helping with foreign labeling compliance and landed costs analysis.
Market Expansion: Strategizing on gaining new accounts both domestically and internationally.
Digital Presence: Enhancing the company’s online visibility with domestic and international Search Engine Optimization (SEO) reporting.

The Safie’s partnership with Julie and the Michigan SBDC has been a game-changer. The result? A significant increase in revenue and staff expansion. Mary purchased necessary equipment, added an entire shift, and successfully branched into a new territory: food service (institutional sales). This division, primarily focused on peppers—an item Mary’s family was the largest U.S. producer of decades ago—is now a major area of growth, with a new dedicated production line being installed.

Julie shared that she has had the wonderful pleasure of being able to work with such a dedicated and talented group of people, including Mary, Chuck, Theresa and Sandra.

Mary extended her deepest gratitude to the Michigan SBDC, stating they were “instrumental in our foundation” and helped Safie’s “to grow and to achieve the success we have had.”

UGA SBDC Strategic Coaching Fuels Growth for LaGrange Home Care Franchise

July 1, 2026

When Tammy Strickland’s father—once a top executive of a global manufacturing firm—developed Alzheimer’s, she struggled to find the in-home care he required.

So, she called in her sister, Debbie Thomason, with an idea: open their own home care franchise focused on compassion, quality and trust. When it came time to build the business behind that mission, they turned to the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (UGA SBDC) for guidance in creating their business systems.

Demand for the services offered by Acti-Kare Responsive In-Home Care in LaGrange grew quickly. So did revenue, staffing, and the need for strong systems to sustain that growth.

Strickland has crafted a simple elevator pitch for the company she owns and operates in with her sister.

“I make it simple,” she said. “We take care of people.”

However, the business of providing personal non-medical home care is extraordinarily complex. Once their franchise was licensed, the sisters contacted the UGA SBDC to help put the right operational foundation in place.

Strickland brought marketing and sales experience, but she knew they needed broader business expertise.

“Corporations do trainings, but we didn’t have that. That’s what the UGA SBDC became. They trained us, showing us what we can do and how we can do it better,” she said.

Phil Wise, area director of the UGA SBDC in Columbus, and consultant Thomas Credle began by helping Strickland set up the company’s QuickBooks.

“Tammy had a rudimentary understanding of accounting, so we worked with her to make sure she was properly interacting with QuickBooks,” Wise said. “Then we showed her how to restructure and realign financial statements to better support managerial and strategic decisions.”

Together, they built a budget process that allowed the sisters to measure actual performance against their expectations.

We operate a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week business with a large staff. Our work with the UGA SBDC on our staffing system helped us to develop and manage a plan and to scale faster with support staff.

Tammy Strickland, Founder of Acti-Kare Responsive In-Home Care Tweet

Credle and Wise showed Strickland and Thomason how to use Acti-Kare’s organizational structure to elevate the responsibilities of their primary managers to strengthen organizational dynamics. Now the managers—rather than the owners—run weekly KPI meetings.

“By reallocating their time and duties, Strickland and Thomason were able to do more work on their business than in the business, fulfilling their roles as owners,” Wise said.

The results have been remarkable. Their Acti-Kare franchise, which serves an area from Peachtree City to LaGrange, has almost tripled in revenue. Employees have grown from 32 to nearly 80. The company was awarded a 2025 Certificate of Excellence from State of Georgia Compliance and named “2025 Best in Georgia” by the Georgia Business Journal and “2025 Best of Troup County in Home Health” by the LaGrange Daily News.

“Tammy and Debbie have excelled at being able to ramp up and grow exponentially while maintaining customer care and a high-quality outcome,” Wise said.

The sisters continue to work closely with the UGA SBDC to enhance their organizational dynamics, create new Key Performance Indicators, update their budget, and explore expansion opportunities into additional Georgia markets.

“Phil, Thomas and the UGA SBDC have been a real game changer for us. I didn’t need someone to teach me to be a sales and marketing expert, but I needed someone to teach me how to build a business and put things in place. Some days, it’s felt like having my dad available. They offer that level of business savvy.

Tammy Strickland, Founder of Acti-Kare Responsive In-Home Care Tweet

How Wyoming SBDC Helped a Combat Veteran Turn Animal Rescue Into a Statewide Wellness Business

June 24, 2026

For Jennifer Clark, entrepreneurship grew from a deeply personal mission. As a combat veteran and mother to an autistic daughter, Clark experienced firsthand the transformative power of animal-assisted eco-therapy. This profound personal healing inspired her to found J&J Second Chance Smallholdings, an animal rescue and sanctuary in Laramie. Two years later, to expand her community impact and help sustain her mission, she launched the for-profit side of her venture: The Goat Ladies.

While many mistake the business for a standard petting zoo, Clark’s operations are focused entirely on community wellness and mental health support. The Goat Ladies offer unique services ranging from birthday parties, weddings, and gender reveals to indoor therapeutic gatherings. Beyond these events, the versatile animal crew also assists the community through local mowing and fire mitigation services.

By using animals for therapy, we (help) people by using one fluffy at a time. It is really hard to do something permanent when an animal comes up to you and feels comfortable and loves you.

Jennifer Clark, Owner of The Goat Ladies Tweet

Navigating the Business Landscape with the Wyoming SBDC

Transitioning from a passionate caretaker to a business owner presented a steep learning curve. To bridge the gap, Clark turned to the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network. Her SBDC advisor, Jeff Engell, provided mentorship and suggestions, including an intensive eight-week business planning workshop where Jennifer mapped out her strategic goals.

The Wyoming SBDC Network also played a role in helping Clark structure her for-profit expansion, connecting her with grant opportunities, and resources to navigate regulations. The SBDC introduced Jennifer to Cyber Wyoming, enabling her to implement critical cybersecurity policies and procedures.

The SBDC has been my favorite. They’ve helped me the most with connecting with new people.

Jennifer Clark, Owner of The Goat Ladies Tweet

A Bright and Self-Sufficient Future

Today, The Goat Ladies are a popular attraction across Wyoming. This summer alone, Clark and her animal ambassadors are scheduled for 100 events across 150 days. The business has also successfully expanded into custom merchandise and children’s books authored by Clark, featuring real rescue animals like Magic Panda and Isabella.

Looking ahead, Clark aims to achieve complete self-sufficiency within the next five years. Backed by a recent Department of Workforce Services grant to hire new staff, she plans to secure government contracts for national forest fire mitigation, ensuring her life-saving mission continues to grow.

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