America’s SBDC Blog

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America’s #SBDC Client Showcase – Wildcard Brewing Company

February 4, 2017
2 Days to the Congressional Showcase!

State/Region: California, Northeastern California SBDC
SBDC: Northeastern California SBDC at Shasta-Cascade
SBDC Advisor: Susan Wright
SBDC Client: Wildcard Brewing Company

Wildcard Brewing CompanyIt started when Jeff and Jenny brewed two beers to give away as wedding favors at a brewery in San Luis Obispo, where they went to college. Homebrew projects and burst bottle explosions ensued in the years after. But a casual passion soon turned career as Jeff announced to Jenny that he had quit his job and had been accepted off a wait-list to brew school. You’d call them crazy, adventurous, unpredictable… a wildcard. Their story is one of the unexpected; a place where there are no limits, where perseverance and a free spirit will turn dreams into reality.

Wildcard Brewing Company opened its doors in November of 2012, with 4200 square feet of open warehouse space, a 10-gallon pilot system and a small, bare bones tasting room. For a year, the brewery serviced local accounts through a contract brewing relationship. It wasn’t until September of 2013 that they revealed a 15-barrel production brewery at the location off Crossroads Drive. (more…)

America’s #SBDC Client Showcase – Micro-LAM Technologies

February 3, 2017
3 Days to the Congressional Showcase!

State: Michigan
SBDC: Michigan SBDC Technology Commercialization Team
SBDC Advisors: Kayo Ramirez, Sandra Cochrane, Alain Peitte, Anna Bier, Tamara Davis, John Schmitt, Bob Honeyman, Dave Grossman,  John Balbach, Jason Pliml, Tom Kelly
SBDC Client: Micro-LAM Technologies

Micro-LAM TechnologiesManufactured in Michigan, Micro-LAM Technologies offers cutting edge technology that increases productivity and profitability for companies that make precision optical components such as lenses, telescopic mirrors, infrared imaging systems, laser components and smart gadget hardware. Micro-LAM’s product increases productivity by up to 500%, increases machine efficiency by up to 200%, improves part quality by an order of magnitude, and has an 8 to 10-month payback, making it a game changer in the precision manufacturing industry. Within a year of hitting the markets, Micro-LAM has sold systems in the US, Israel, the United Kingdom, Spain and Sweden.

“The Michigan SBDC has been a major contributor to Micro-LAM’s growth. Being a startup CEO is challenging, especially when coming from an engineering background. Thanks to the solid Michigan SBDC team I have worked with over recent years, I have learned vital skills that enable me to lead my business towards success. The Michigan SBDC has provided strategic planning guidance, secondary market research, SBIR Phase I and Phase II proposal review, coaching for pitch competitions, and many other business consulting services.” — Deepak Ravindra, Ph.D., CEO, Micro-LAM Technologies

Read more about Micro-LAM Technologies here.

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The America’s SBDC 2017 Client Showcase Reception will be at 5:30 pm on Monday, February 6, 2017, at the Rayburn House Office Building. Invite your Members of Congress now!

For more information about America’s SBDC or to find an SBDC near you, go to www.AmericasSBDC.org.

America’s #SBDC Client Showcase – CPR Tools

February 2, 2017
4 Days to the Congressional Showcase!

State: Florida
SBDC: SBDC at Florida Gulf Coast University, Ft. Myers
SBDC Advisor: Kevin Brady
SBDC Client: CPR Tools

CPR ToolsCPR Tools Inc. was formed in 1995 and is all about data. CPR Tools performs advanced data recovery services on all types of storage media, including hard drives, phones, tablets, flash drives and more. It has recovered data from shredded media, fire damaged media, water damaged media, and USB drives that your son knocked off the table while you were working!

The company provides ‘End of Life’ data eradication services on storage media, because who better to get rid of your data than the folks that are the best at getting it back! All of its eradication services meet or exceed government standards, including HIPAA, NIST, DoD, FACTA, and others. (more…)

America’s #SBDC Client Showcase – Stratom

February 1, 2017
5 Days to the Congressional Showcase!

State: Colorado
SBDC: Boulder SBDC
SBDC Advisor: Sharon King
SBDC Client: Stratom

Mark Gordon, StratomStratom, Inc., founded in 2001, provides strategic solutions and advanced technologies to government, commercial and global clients. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, Stratom has additional locations in several states and the DC/National Capital region. Stratom is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Non-Traditional Defense Contractor, focusing on providing strategic solutions, training support, research and development (R&D), engineering, and system integration services for unmanned systems. We have a 15-year history of delivering solutions directly to the Department of Defense (DoD) and to major defense contractors.

“Working with the SBDC has been an amazing experience. They have provided outstanding support to Stratom from our inception as a one person business to continued growth and advanced support as our company has matured and grown through the years. Thank you SBDC for all of your amazing support throughout the years!!” — Mark Gordon, President and CEO, Stratom, Inc.

Read more about Stratom here. Follow Stratom on Twitter @StratomInc.

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The America’s SBDC 2017 Client Showcase Reception will be at 5:30 pm on Monday, February 6, 2017, at the Rayburn House Office Building. Invite your Members of Congress now!

For more information about America’s SBDC or to find an SBDC near you, go to www.AmericasSBDC.org.

America’s #SBDC Client Showcase – Torklift

January 31, 2017
6 Days to the Congressional Showcase!

State: Washington
SBDC: Washington SBDC
SBDC Advisor: Sharon Sappington
SBDC Client: Torklift

TorkliftTorklift was founded in 1976 and started as a small retail shop where automotive and RV-related services and products were sold. It soon became a hub of new product innovation that exploded into the expansion of a manufacturing arm that sells RV and automotive products world-wide, with a strong fan-base of “Torklift-only” customers. Torklift products and services include trailer hitches, suspension, truck camper tie downs and turnbuckles, step systems, custom fabrication, trailer repair and wiring. The company has also hosted a community-wide fund-raiser called the Kent Turkey Challenge that has raised more than $113,000 for the Kent Food Bank since its inception.

“Our Washington Small Business Development Center has helped us with quite a few projects that we would not have completed due to resources and time constraints. They provided us with quality research about expanding into other countries as well as markets. They also provided a pathway to gaining media exposure to our organization that led to additional opportunities.” — Candice Boutilier, Senior VP of Sales and Marketing, Torklift

Read more about Torklift here. Follow Torklift on Twitter @Torklift.

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The America’s SBDC 2017 Client Showcase Reception will be at 5:30 pm on Monday, February 6, 2017, at the Rayburn House Office Building. Invite your Members of Congress now!

For more information about America’s SBDC or to find an SBDC near you, go to www.AmericasSBDC.org.