Chester Gordon founded M.A.C. TECH Fabrication and Repairs Inc. in December 2006. The business specializes in sheet metal fabrication, composites fabrication, custom painting, refinishing, and design. The company's primary customers are from the transportation industry, primarily th rail and airline industry. After completing the first cohort of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, Mr. Gordon requested the assistance of the Queens-LaGuardia SBDC to purchase property for his business. He needed the property to expand the business by purchasing necessary equipment and creating more jobs.
"I am grateful for the assistance of Rosa Figueroa, my SBDC advisor."
LaGuardia SBDC Advisor Rosa Figueroa assisted Mr. Gordon with purchasing his property in 2011. In 2018, he expanded the property by 1,000 sq. ft. Advisor Figueroa contacted a loan officer from Pursuit Lending, who provided the initial SBA 504 loan to purchase the property. She assisted with the preparation of financial and personal financial statements and assisted Mr. Gordon with reviewing documents requested by the lender. The loan officer informed Advisor Figueroa in January 2020 that Mr. Gordon was approved for the $580,000 SBA 504 guarantee loan. However, construction was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Mr. Gordon worked with the architect and searched for a contractor. In the meantime, Advisor Figueroa assisted Mr. Gordon with obtaining first and second-phase PPP funding of approximately $335,000 and a $500,000 Covid EIDL.
In 2022, a new loan officer at Pursuit Lending took over Mr. Gordon’s loan application and requested updated financial statements because it had taken so long to complete the project. Mr. Gordon once again requested SBDC assistance from Advisor Figueroa. She contacted Pursuit and worked with Mr. Gordon to produce the updated financial statements. Pursuit was able to accommodate Mr. Gordon’s request for funding.
Mr. Gordon was able to complete the construction by June 2023. As soon as he receives the Certificate of Occupancy from the building department, Mr. Gordon can install new machinery to increase the volume of business. He was able to retain 12 jobs with the new funding.
New York Embroidery Studio (NYES) is a design studio and manufacturing facility in New York City's Garment District. Owner and creative director Michelle Feinberg brings over 30 years of manufacturing experience to the fashion industry. Responding to a dire need for more domestically-produced PPE during the COVID-19 pandemic, Michelle focused her attention on how she could leverage her knowledge and experience with the necessary machinery and team of 48 employees to provide a public good.
"I could not have done it without you and I am grateful for your support."
Ms. Feinberg consulted with Baruch College SBDC Business Advisor Leo Zhang in Manhattan & SBDC Government Contracting Coordinator Gina Hayduk at the SBDC's Procurement Assistance Center (PAC) in Utica to register for Bidlinx and explore opportunities with NYS and the federal government. As a result, NYES obtained a $79 million PPE contract in 2020 for a contract with the Department of Defense and received PPP and EIDL funding. To finance such a large contract, the SBDC reviewed traditional loans and factor financing, her current lender proposals and terms, and contacted its lending partners for additional financing options. Ms. Feinberg continues to work with the Baruch & Mohawk Valley SBDCs and utilizes the Bidlinx platform. Bidlinx is New York SBDC's government contract "bid-matching" service. It is a Web-based program that monitors thousands of online bid sources and sends email notices of opportunities tailored to match a firm's products, services, and capabilities. BidLinx is accessible at no cost to SBDC clients in New York State.
Ms. Feinberg's leadership and adaptability are an inspiration as she continues to forge ahead and create more opportunities. Ms. Feinberg has been using the proceeds from her previous contract to build out her new manufacturing location in the Brooklyn Army Terminal to pursue larger contracts. She was recently awarded a large Department of Health & Human Services contract under the new infrastructure bill. Ms. Feinberg was happy to report that the company received a $257M contract that will enable her to generate 500 additional jobs for the company. Ms. Feinberg credited the SBDC for allowing her to obtain this contract
AM Equipment is a construction company working in all aspects of commercial and residential buildings. From the design stage to handing over the keys, AME offers site work, concrete work, full-service building construction, road construction, and utility construction in two states. Andris White, a Native American, started with AM Equipment in March 2009 on the Mohawk Reservation of Akwesasne. In those days, he was the sole owner and grossed $100,000 in sales during his first year of operation. In 2016, he hired his first part-time employee, and in 2018, the company began to grow exponentially. In 2019, he expanded operations to Massachusetts, also becoming a certified MBE/DBE heavy and highway contractor in that state. In January 2022, Andris created AM Equipment NY LLC as the NY-based wholly-owned subsidiary of AM Equipment. Growth has continued in the company, and over time, services have expanded to include complete residential and commercial construction, including site work, road work, and utility construction.
"Michelle has always been helpful in providing me with guidance over the years and has steered me toward opportunities that could help me grow and expand the business."
Advisor Michelle Collins at the SUNY Canton SBDC has provided various assistance over the years including identifying sources of funding, procurement opportunities, minority certification and most recently, COVID funding. SBDC is currently assisting with securing funding for growth and expansion.
Today, the company employs twelve people in New York and between 10 and 15 people at various times in Massachusetts. Sales are on track to reach $4 million this year. AM Equipment recently received certification as a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) from the National Minority Supplier Development Council and is in the process of applying for certification through SBA's 8(a) Business Development Program. In December 2023, Andris shared the news that he was selected as one of 12 finalists by Caterpillar and Equipment World for their 2024 Contractor of the Year award.
