Success Stories

State: Indiana
Center: Southeast ISBDC
Client: Fred Daniels, VP Operations of Uni-Ref/United Refractories

Trevor Lane with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation contacted SEISBDC business advisor, Kelly Will in 2012 with regard to a company seeking to move their operations from Ohio to Indiana.  As there were incentives associated with the project, Will was asked to perform a financial analysis on the company and worked with Vice President of Operations, Fred Daniels.

Uni-Ref, a subsidiary of United Refractories Co., designs innovative, durable refractories with a focus on customer-specific needs and application.  United Refractories was founded in 1973 by Raymond Niesen who later started a manufacturing facility (Uni-Ref) in Cincinnati in 1882.   By 2011, they had outgrown their current facilities in Sharonville, Ohio and had a need for more space. Current expansion of the Sharonville plant was explored as well as moving to another larger facility.

After looking at many sites and reviewing their expansion options, an existing facility in Brookville/Franklin County, Indiana became the best option for the company’s needs. The down side of this was the cost of reconfiguring their production lines to fit the building and the cost of moving their operation.  However this larger facility in Brookville allowed Uni-Ref to expand its current production capabilities and has also allowed Uni-Ref to consolidate other manufacturing and warehousing operations into one location. (more…)

State: Ohio
Center: Ohio SBDC
Client: K & J Web Designs

K & J Web Designs is a small web design firm located in Cincinnati. The firm builds attractive, engaging websites for local small businesses and nonprofits, and offers consulting on Search Engine Optimization and social media management. Founder Kris Jones learned web design while working on a separate project that helps recent graduates as they enter into the workplace, but as he became a more competent web designer people began requesting his services.

He continued designing and partnered with a friend to start K & J Web Designs. They reached out to the Small Business Development Center in Cincinnati and met with SBDC advisor Karla Boldery. She helped them create a business plan and set measurable goals for various aspects of the business. (more…)

State: Florida
Center: SBDC/VBOC at UWF Pensacola FL at Gulf Coast State College
Client: Jennifer Clark
Business Name: Back to Center Wellness Associates

Author Jennifer Clark served nearly eleven years as a Physician Assistant in the United States Air Force. She has written and published a book “166 Days: My Journey Through the Darkness.” In 2008 she was deployed to Afghanistan; she was assigned to a team of Green Berets as the leader of a Female Treatment Team where her mission was to treat local nationals and run the clinic.

The clinic was located on the border of the firebase, separated only by barbed wire and a checkpoint guarded by local Afghanistan National Army (ANA) soldiers. Not much shielded Clark and her team from the unknown dangers of the Middle East. Her covert mission was to gain information on her patients that could be used in the war. She gathered intelligence while treating local Afghans, who would often travel for days to seek treatment. Due to the lack of infrastructure and perils of war, many of her patients had nowhere else to turn for life threatening conditions. (more…)

State: Texas
Center: Del Mar College SBDC in South West Texas
Client: Bella Abastta

Bella Abastta, fresh out of high school, is a young and ambitious entrepreneur seeking to venture outside her family’s business. Her love for fashion motivated her to negotiate the purchase of an existing boutique that offers an eclectic variety of stylish and trendy women’s clothing and accessories.

Bella, who had no established credit, limited knowledge in purchasing and operating a business, was asked to present a Business Plan including a financial analysis. The purpose of the plan was to help the leaseholder transition over the lease and help Bella purchase the business.

Celia Garza, Business Advisor with Del Mar College SBDC encouraged Bella to participate in training seminars offered by the SBDC. Training seminars helped her become familiarized with fundamental business essentials such as start-up, marketing and financial statements. After attending business training and working closely with Celia, Bella was able to complete a Business Plan and generate a 3-year Financial Projection Plan. (more…)

State: Idaho
Center: Idaho SBDC, Region V
Client Name: Straight Forward Auto Service

Gary Warren worked for years to build his reputation as a trustworthy mechanic in the city of Soda Springs in rural southeast Idaho. In early 2012, Gary decided to fulfill his long held desire of going into business for himself and owning his own repair shop.

With assistance from the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Gary’s market research showed he had the network to produce viable cash flow and secure ongoing clients. Yet finding funding for his new venture proved a challenge. (more…)