Modesto,

CA

Transcript

GDM Distributors, Inc.

My name is Gregory Woods. My company is GDM Distributors, Inc., located here in Modesto, California. I had a saying and it may seem odd but it was a saying that I was the least successful import/export company in America. When I first met with the SBDC what my counselor Mary said to me was, 'Greg, identify what the problems are. Start from the most important on down and we'll tackle those one by one to get you to the point where you are exporting successfully." And that's how I began the tremendously successful last eight months of our business because of the dedication that the SBDC showed and those teachings that they extended to me which included other outside sources (either local or government programs) have resulted in me now being a successful exporter.

When it comes to capital financing, one of the major problems that I had was capital. I had never had the opportunity to go to the bank or the private lenders and identify specifically, 'Here are the exports that I have. Here are the dollar values that are going to be exchanged. How do we go forward" Once I had that comfort level to be able to share with outside forces the programs that I was trying to finance, could I ever show anyone that my business could be successful with just a little bit of help.

The SBDC, my counselor, showed me how to put together a credit program, show it to my lender, and then extend that program to the buyer. It's been successful. That particular buyer is now buying what will amount to about 18 container loads a month of pinto beans which at today's market price is somewhere around $700,000. That's a substantial sale every month, financed by programs that were shown to me through the offices of the SBDC.

Our website that I didn't have for ten years at the company y's operation was provided for us through the services of another counselor here at the SBDC. I've got a website. That may seem like an odd accomplishment but a website means somebody in South Africa or Namibia or Beijing or Kenya can look on your website, identify you, and contact you. They don't have to even speak your language. I didn't have that opportunity before I came to the SBDC. So now I can smile and say I have a website that people can contact me from all over the world and they do. And that's a major accomplishment.