Success Stories

Success Story: Missouri

• Missouri Southern State University (MSSU) SBTDC, in Joplin, Missouri
• SBTDC Consultants: Lisa Robinson, Director, and Ken Surbrugg, Consultant, MSSU SBTDC
• Client: Stronghold Data, L.L.C. – SBDC client since 2006

“… it (the MSSU SBTDC and its services) helped me a lot. I had a little experience from college, before I went into computers, but Ken has been so helpful, educating me as a small business owner to understand the details of statements.” James Richards, CEO, Stronghold Data, L.L.C.

Impact of working with the Missouri Southern State University SBTDC: Stronghold Data CEO James Richards believes the firm will double its current 16 employees and dramatically increase revenue from its current ~$3 million in the next two to three years.

Read the whole story, and learn more about the Missouri SBTDC network and Stronghold Data, L.L.C.

Success Story: South Carolina

• Columbia Area SBDC
• Clients: Monica and George Kessler, owners of Il Giorgione in Columbia, SC
• SBDC clients for three years

“We are sure we saved time and money working with the SBDC. Their expertise is invaluable, yet their services are free!” Monica Kessler, Co-Owner, Il Giorgione

Impact of working with the South Carolina SBDC: Insight into a variety of small business issues.

Read the whole story, and learn more about the South Carolina SBDC and Il Giorgione.

Success Story: Oregon

• Portland Community College SBDC
• SBDC Consultants: Tammy Marquez-Oldham, Pam Kraemer
• Client: Josh Fegles of Jude’s Foods LLC – SBDC client since 2011

“Working with the SBDC equipped me with everything I needed as a first-time entrepreneur in both my initial startup phase and ongoing business growth.” – Josh Fegles, CEO, Jude’s Foods LLC

Impact of working with the Oregon SBDC: Fegles first talked to his SBDC advisor in 2011, when all he had was a recipe for his cookies and a desire to sell them. In 2015, after 4 years of ongoing advising, Fegles, now contracts with an Oregon manufacturer capable of baking over 100,000 cookies in a day, and he has hired a regional distributor to expand his business throughout the Northwest.

Read the whole story, and learn more about the Portland Community College SBDC, the Oregon SBDC Network and Jude’s Foods LLC.

Success Story: Pennsylvania

• Bucknell University SBDC
• SBDC Counselor: Dilip K. Shah
• Client: Upper Desk, Inc. – SBDC client since 2010

“The SBDC is like a one-stop shop providing tools to educate employees, encourage economic growth, develop products and help fulfill professional aspirations.” – Rod and Stephanie Phillips, Upper Desk, Inc.

Impact of working with the SBDC: Seeking to turn his ideas into a successful business, Roderick Phillips and his daughter Stephanie sought help from the specialty Engineering Development Services at the Bucknell University Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Staff and students at the SBDC assisted him with patent and market research, product development guidance, and even some engineering design assistance with Upper Desk products still in the pipeline. (more…)

Success Story: Vermont

• Vermont SBDC
• SBDC Counselor: Deborah Eibner
• Client: Pierogi Me! and Pierogi Café

“Throughout the workshop and in the many follow-up meetings with Deborah Eibner, I was supported and equipped with an invaluable set of tools and strategies that changed my rough idea into a clear vision.” – Viktor Witkowski, Owner, Pierogi Me! and Pierogi Café

Impact of working with the Vermont SBDC:  With the help of VtSBDC advising, Viktor Witkowski has melded his traditional Polish culinary roots with a solid business base, giving his company a stable platform for continued growth. What started as a home-based kitchen business quickly needed space to grow. Witkowski worked with his SBDC advisor to find suitable commercial kitchen space, as well as a small restaurant space to help the growing company expand. His plans continue to become reality as he puts the finishing touches on Pierogi Café in Quechee, where he plans to be serving fresh Polish pierogi soon. He also moved into a commercial kitchen and is ramping up his retail sales while streamlining product packaging.

Read the whole story, and learn more about the Vermont SBDC and Pierogi Me! and Pierogi Café.