About Wisconsin District Office

About Wisconsin District Office

District Director is Eric Ness. (414) 297-1471

Deputy District Director is Frank Demarest, Jr. (414) 297-1099

Public Information Officer is Shirah Apple (414) 297-1096

The Wisconsin District Office is responsible for the delivery of SBA's many programs and services to the 72 counties of Wisconsin. Our offices are located in both Madison and Milwaukee.

The Wisconsin office assists several hundred businesses each year by providing financial assistance through the 7(a) and 504 loan programs. The Wisconsin SBA assisted 1,739 businesses in obtaining over $716 million in Loans, and we assisted with 79 Micro Loans in the amount of $1,409,179.00 for fiscal year 2012 that ended September 30, 2012.  487 loans went to start-up businesses for $112,916,100.

Nationwide:  FY 2012 was SBA’s second biggest loan volume year ever, in dollar terms, second only to FY 2011, which got a huge boost in the first quarter from the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010. Loan approvals for FY 2012 for 7(a) and 504 combined reached $21.8 billion ($30.25 billion “supported”), compared with $24.48 billion in approvals for FY2011 (or $30.5 billion supported). 

Services Available

Over the years, the SBA has developed many small business loan and assistance programs, special outreach efforts and initiatives to aid and inform small businesses. The following describes briefly all the services and information available through this office: 

• Financial assistance for new or existing businesses through guaranteed loans made by area bank and non-bank lenders.
• Counseling, advice, and information on starting a business are available through SCORE: Counselors to America's Small Business.
• Consulting services through the network of Small Business Development Centers. SBDCs also conduct training events throughout the district - some require a nominal registration fee.  Patty Pettey is the local SBDC liaison.
• Counseling through our Women Business Centers across the state.  Women Business Ownership Representatives are available to advise women business owners, call Mary Trimmier at (414) 297-1093. 
• Special loan programs are available for businesses involved in international trade/export, contact Mary Trimmier at (414) 297-1093.
• Veterans, you can get business counseling and information about SBA guaranteed loans. In Wisconsin, contact Frank Demarest at (414) 297-1099. Frank can direct you to resource partners that best suit your business needs. SBA can also help veterans start or expand a business.
• Native American Representative is Bob Giesfeldt at (414) 297-1455.
• Government Contracting represenatives are Bob Giesfeldt at (414) 297-1455 or Cheryl Jordan at (414) 297-3951.
• District Counsel - Brad Trimble at (414) 297-4090 or Peg Hitt, Paralegal at (608) 441-5520.
• Disaster Coordinator, please contact Patricia Pettey at (414) 297-1231.
• 912 questions or issues, please contact Betsy Jorgensen at (608) 441-5263.
• All Media - Contact Shirah Apple, PIO at 414-297-1096
• If you would like staff from Wisconsin SBA to speak at your business event or school, please contact (608) 441-5261 or (414) 297-1091 to arrange.  Please give us at least 2 weeks notice.
• To schedule meeting with District Director Eric Ness, please contact Shirah Apple (414) 297-1096.
• To request a 2013 Wisconsin SBA Resource Guide be mailed to you, or for general questions, please email us at Wisconsin@sba.gov.
• All Wisconsin Employees