unleashing
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igniting local
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NABOHI USA, LLC, founded in 1997 by Rogelio Mora in Mexico, manufactures submersible pumps for sewage and wastewater. While the company achieved significant international success, expanding into the United States presented challenges. Rogelio sought assistance to establish operations in Texas, ensure compliance with U.S. regulations, access economic incentives, and effectively market the company's innovative solutions to U.S. clients, particularly in disaster response.
"The assistance provided by the SBDC was excellent. They were always willing and eager to help in whatever was needed and continuously followed up on any needs as they arose."
The UTSA SBDC International Trade Center's Texas International Business Accelerator (TIBA) program, led by Project Manager Carolina Hoyos, provided comprehensive support in the form of assistance with an investment business plan and additional support, including:
– Strategic Planning: Defined a start-up model and expansion plan tailored to Texas.
– Stakeholder Engagement: Connected the client with economic development organizations to explore incentives.
– Licensing and Compliance: Identified required licenses and permits for seamless operations.
– Market Development: Recommended specialized tradeshows and strategies to penetrate U.S. markets.
– Government Contracting: Provided insights into disaster response opportunities, including partnerships with government service providers.
– Industry Insights: Helped the client align with U.S. regulations to execute projects effectively.
With the SBDC's support, NABOHI USA, LLC launched its operations in Texas, resulting in:
– $6,000,000 in foreign direct investment.
– Creation of 25 specialized jobs in Texas.
– Enhanced readiness to support disaster response efforts, solidifying its position as a community-focused enterprise.
Founded in 2010 by Max and Manuel Salinas, Max Underground Construction, LLC is a minority-owned general contractor specializing in underground utility and drainage projects. Initially, the company faced challenges securing the financial resources needed to invest in equipment and grow its operations. Over the years, their expansion efforts required access to capital, compliance with SBA requirements, and solutions for managing their growing workforce and inventory of heavy equipment.
"Thank you SBDC for the assistance provided throughout the years. Your services, partnership, and connecting us to different resources has helped us succeed during the good and bad times."
SBDC Business Advisor Celia Garza has been a consistent resource for the Salinas family since 2010. The SBDC provided:
– Initial Support: Assistance with a business plan and financial projections that secured a $51,000 loan to purchase the first piece of heavy equipment.
– Expansion Guidance: Updated the business plan for new financing, secured a $550,000 credit line for working capital, and helped with the construction of a 2,800-square-foot office building.
– Workforce and Compliance Support: Developed an employee handbook, facilitated QuickBooks training, and ensured SBA certification compliance.
– COVID-19 Relief Assistance: Guided the business through SBA's EIDL and PPP programs, securing a $245,000 loan and maintaining 89 employees during the pandemic.
– Ongoing Support: Assisted with Employee Retention Credit claims, TxHUB certification, and compliance with Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reporting requirements.
The SBDC's support enabled Max Underground Construction, LLC to achieve:
– $6 million in prime contracts
– $4.6 million in increased sales
– Growth of 21 new jobs and 89 jobs retained
– Construction of a new office building to support expanded operations
– Business resilience during the pandemic, maintaining operations and avoiding layoffs
La Luce Cristallina, led by Alex Demkov, specializes in cutting-edge advanced materials, focusing on barium titanate for silicon photonics. These innovations have vast potential applications, including optical computing and sensor technology. However, the company faced significant challenges in refining its business plan, addressing production capacity issues, and securing funding to scale operations.
"We have been trying unsuccessfully to raise money for necessary capital equipment during all of 2022. Then, we met with the SBDC team and things immediately turned for the better. With the help of the SBDC, we were able to make a purchase possible which will make La Luce Cristallina the only commercial source of integrated barium titanate, the emerging platform for low power, fast optical communications, in the United States."
With the support of the Texas State University SBDC, led by Business Advisor Orlando Colmenero, the following assistance was provided:
– Financial Planning: Developed comprehensive financial projections tailored to meet lender expectations.
– Business Plan Refinement: Adjusted the business plan to position the company effectively for potential investors and lenders.
– Funding Assistance: Secured an SBA loan of $3.3 million, supplemented by an owner investment of $255,960.
– Production Scaling: Identified grants for working capital to address and enhance production capacity.
SBDC's guidance helped La Luce Cristallina achieve:
– $3.3 million in SBA funding to facilitate business expansion.
– Growth of their workforce, creating one full-time and two part-time positions in the high-tech sector.
– Enhanced capacity to develop and commercialize innovative silicon photonic devices.