"In 2016, as the dry-cleaning market began evolving, Ann Son's family began looking to expand the family's 40 retail dry-cleaning locations.
"I knew I wanted to lead the effort," said Son, a second-generation dry cleaner and launderer with over 30 years of experience in both the Carolinas. She did so not only because she is the oldest of two daughters but also because she constantly seeks ways to reinvent herself. "I was ready to take on a new challenge, and we were ready to grow our business enterprise."
Ann Son first approached the SC SBDC in 2017, when she met USC Region Director and business consultant Darrell Jones. "In our first meeting, I had so many ideas and goals. I stumbled into his office with a desire to reinvent and grow my family business. There were so many moving parts, and Mr. Jones helped me prioritize our immediate needs and our needs for the future and patiently helped me organize my ideas and develop a business plan," said Son.
Jones suggested she expand into a commercial laundry service for hotels, restaurants, and other hospitality businesses. This expansion, however, would require the family to purchase or lease an additional, much larger facility. So, Jones encouraged Son to focus on finding the money to cover her expansion and provided Son with the support she needed to navigate the loan process to secure funding.
"The SBDC held my hand and led me to where I am today," said Son. "I have now reached a level of success and am ready to grow again! With the continued support of the SC SBDC, I'd like to expand into other underserved markets and explore government contracting."
Over the following two years, with help from Jones, Son reevaluated her business and marketing plans and received $915,000 in financing. In 2017, only one year after first meeting with Jones, Son opened Holy City Linen's first facility in Mount Pleasant, which had 11 employees handling over 550,000 clothing articles and nearly 3 million pounds of goods annually.
"In addition to being the largest facility of its kind in the area, we are also greener," said Son. "One of my goals for the business was to be better for the environment and better for the employees—many of whom are family members." Holy City Linen is the only 100% chemical-free dry cleaner in South Carolina.
Global staffing shortages have demonstrated the cost-benefit of outsourcing linen services, and Son's company has significantly profited from the increase in demand. It wasn't long before Son began looking to take this success beyond Mt. Pleasant and into other underserved markets.
In 2020, Holy City Linen opened its second site in an economically disadvantaged area of North Charleston. The 35,000 sq. ft. facility, which can process 20 million pounds of linens in an 8-hour shift, has created 60 new jobs and led to over $9.8 million in capital formation. Holy City Linen Services even provides corporate housing and transportation for those employees who reside in underprivileged and underserved areas. This expansion, partially financed by a sizeable investment from the owner, was a significant step forward for the business and was especially useful when flooding forced Son to close her Mt. Pleasant location in 2019 temporarily.
Today, Son's original facility in Mt. Pleasant primarily serves restaurants, while the North Charleston facility targets hotels, hospitals, and military clients.
"The expansion of Holy City Linen gives us confidence that North Charleston is a community where businesses can flourish. We are thankful for the capital," said Charleston County Council Chairman Elliott Summeey.
In addition to running a thriving business, Son is receiving accolades for her work, including Charleston Area SBDC Entrepreneur of the Year (2018), SBA's SC Minority Small Business Person of the Year (2019) and SBA's SC Small Business Person of the Year (2022).
“The SBDC held my hand and led me to where I am today," said Son. "I have now reached a level of success and am ready to grow again! With the continued support of the SC SBDC, I'd like to expand into other underserved markets and explore government contracting."
As an Advanced Sommelier on a quest to become one of only 269 Master Sommeliers worldwide, Eric Cooperman has spent the bulk of 10 years tasting his fair share of fine wines-and, unfortunately, many that were much less palette-pleasing. He became frustrated with sampling obviously flawed beverages and identified the supply chain as the culprit. "By the time many beer and wine brands arrive at their destination," Cooperman said, "the jostling and fluctuating temperatures during transport have degraded the product, creating a multi-billion-dollar spoilage problem for producers, consumers and collectors alike." This inspired Cooperman to develop Bottle Titan, an intelligent beverage-monitoring technology that ensures products reach consumers with the same artisan quality producers intended. Cooperman says his concept was "designed by the industry for the industry."
Cooperman formally established his company in August 2021 and started attending SC SBDC training events in September, where he first connected with Greenville Area Business Consultant Earl Gregorich. In his initial consultation with Gregorich, Cooperman said that to successfully launch his business and bring his proprietary invention to market, he would need capital, a market analysis, data on industry trends, advice on legal issues such as intellectual property statutes and guidance on product commercialization.
It's reassuring to have Earl Gregorich by my side, generously offering his help. He is a dynamic champion of Greenville's small business community - it's impossible to be around him and not be inspired. Earl's guidance and insight have been invaluable - I will forever be in debted to him."
Impressed by Cooperman's passion, curiosity and, most notably, his ingenuity, Gregorich encouraged his client to enter the NEXT Launchpad pitch competition. Thanks to Gregorich's guidance and mentorship, the wine connoisseur won the $25,000 grand prize, which provided him with much-needed seed money and validation of his product. Knowing that his client needed a detailed analysis of the beverage industry and its trends, Gregorich referred Cooperman to the Clemson SBDC Student Research Center. In just seven weeks, the interns compiled a comprehensive 70-page strategic marketing report that included recommendations for Cooperman on safeguarding his intellectual property, launching his business and cultivating the Bottle Titan brand. "The Clemson Student Research team was integral in validating Bottle Titan's market sector and scalability," said Cooperman. "I had no idea resources like this existed-AND it was free."
Bottle Titan has completed two pilot projects, is rapidly converting those leads (among others) into future customers and obtained $31,000 in a second round of grant funding from the SCRA. Eager to leverage his knowledge and experience, Cooperman hopes to perfect his technology within the following year. Both Gregorich and his client know that Bottle Titan has the potential to build a global presence. With the SC SBDC by his side, Cooperman is optimistic that his business will revolutionize the beverage industry within the next five years.
"Jordon Construction is a great example of what can happen when a small business identifies an opportunity, studies it, makes an action plan and follows it," said Sherry Pittinger, an SC SBDC consultant specializing in government procurement. Pittinger should know. She has been working with Jordon Construction Company (JCC) founder and president James Jordon since 2013, when the nascent general contractor first approached the SC SBDC for assistance honing a long-term, three-pronged growth strategy: (1) increasing the quantity, scope and dollar-value of its government contracts, (2) expanding the commercial side of its business and (3) building an internal team that shared Jordon's commitment to delivering superior customer service.
"Sherry Pittinger and the entire SC SBDC network have been essential to JCC's growth and success in the government contracting arena. Sherry has been a trusted advisor whom I often lean on for moral support. No matter how diversified we become or how far up the ladder JCC ascends, I will never outgrow my need for the SC SBDC."
The SC SBDC team, led by Procurement Specialist Sherry Pittinger, was instrumental in developing growth strategies that leveraged JCC's minority, 8(a), and HUBZone certifications, which Pittinger helped them obtain. "Sherry has been integral to helping JCC achieve our uncommonly high bid-to-conversion ratio," stated Jordon. For support addressing JCC's other ambitious strategic goals, Pittinger turned to Greenville Area business consultant Scott Whelchel, who facilitated strategy sessions with JCC leadership in which he identified some of the client's "blind spots" and helped JCC pursue private sector opportunities in specialized industries such as commercial real estate, healthcare systems and general contracting. Business consultant Kostas Ioannidis rounded out the SC SBDC team by providing financial guidance. He became a trusted adviser that Jordon often invited to attend JCC's Executive-level financial meetings. "Bringing the SC SBDC into our strategic planning sessions helps us be more objective in looking at our business and ultimately more accountable." Today, with ongoing support from his SC SBDC team, JCC has expanded its portfolio of general contracting services to include design-build services, facility maintenance, construction management, and custodial services. This diversification has resulted in over 158 contracts worth over $57.5 million — a number that is constantly growing. JCC has earned a stellar reputation for providing clients value through its integrity, commitment, and innovation culture. This respect has enabled Jordon to achieve his aspirations of extending JCC's geographic reach. Today, the company boasts a strong presence throughout the southeast, including premier cities like Atlanta and Charlotte.
Jordon has achieved his goal of growing JCC by winning multiple-year contracts. The company recently was awarded five-year contracts from the Army Corps of Engineers, the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, and the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. These multi-year contracts are particularly lucrative because they guarantee sustained work over an extended period.
Jordon is fulfilling his commitment to revitalize strategically located, underserved communities. JCC and sister company Jordon Development Company (JDC) are constructing several multi-unit affordable and mixed-rate housing properties. Jordon credits the SC SBDC for his burgeoning workload: "The SBDC offers an expansive range of services to businesses like mine seeking to spark a growth spurt, refine their business strategy or make inroads into alternative markets. No matter how diversified we become or how far up the ladder JCC ascends, I will never outgrow my need for the SC SBDC." Jordon justifiably has received numerous awards for his achievements, including Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2021; SBA Minority Businessperson of the Year; Greenville Business Magazine's "Best & Brightest 35 & Under" list; Integrated Media Group's "50 Most Influential People" list; and, most notably, Jordon was featured on "60 Minutes" (broadcast 9-Jan-2022). Pittinger is proud of her client's achievements. "Six years ago, James couldn't conceive of winning, let alone managing, multiple government contracts. And maybe he couldn't have at that time," she said. "But James was willing to ask for help, take time to plan and follow that plan. Now look where he is."
