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Success Stories

Thomas Rumph

Rumph and Associates has grown from a small Atlanta-based accounting firm to an international service provider to the U.S. Government in the span of four years. The company has grown from one employee, working out of a home office, to more than 85 employees working in over 40 countries.

After a career spanning more than two decades as a finance director and international finance professional with the largest beverage company in the world, Thomas Rumph Jr. resigned and started the company in 2007. Rumph and Associates was originally focused on accounting and data management services for corporate clients and educational institutions.  Tom wanted to scale up his business, and the current plan was not achieving this goal. “I wasn’t building anything to create jobs or grow the business, I had to do something different,” he recalls. Through a friend, he learned about the government contracting program and decided to give it a try.

Tom connected with the SBA Georgia... Read More

Catherine Downey holding movie camera

CATMEDIA, headquartered in Tucker, Georgia, is blazing a trail of success.  Approaching $20 million in revenue, it has been named in the Top Ten of the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 2015 Pacesetter Awards for Atlanta’s 100 fastest-growing private companies, as well as named as one of the top 100 fastest growing companies [top five woman owned businesses] in America by Inc. Magazine.  Founded in 1997, CATMEDIA is a full-service communications company that specializes in creative services, program management, training, and human resource management.  The company is thankful to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for their continued success. 

Catherine Downey, CATMEDIA’s CEO, recently reflected on her and the company’s journey with the SBA.  “I feel like a poster child for the SBA as I have participated in many federal government programs and services that have helped grow my business,” said Downey.  Having a creative and operational background in the television... Read More

Scott Soesbee sitting at desk

FlameOff Ignites Success for Georgia

Small Business Person of the Year

Former golf pro turned entrepreneur Scott Soesbee took a recommendation from a friend and turned it into a business venture, FlameOff Coatings Inc.  The initial idea was to solve the problems many homeowners face each year -- a dryer that erupts in flames if the duct is filled with lint. In 2013 dryers caused 14,600 fires, 20 deaths, and $86.8 million in property damage in the United States alone.  FlameOFF offers fully tested fire retardant and fire resistance intumescent paint products designed to provide a high-level of fire protection at a reasonable cost and without harmful solvents and toxic ingredients.  The paint has undergone extensive testing and has been accredited by the International Accreditation Service (IAS) fire testing laboratories and is a member of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and International Code Council (ICC... Read More

Ana Martin

In July, 2000 Ana Martin, under the cover of darkness, boarded a small fishing boat from Cuba and dangerously set sail for the United States to pursue her passion of being an entrepreneur.  With nothing but the clothes on her back, a small bag, and a soul full of determination she made the leap of faith seeking freedom and opportunities which were denied in her native country.  Fifteen years later, Ana Martin reflects while her computer chimes with a new e-mail and the office phone continues to ring in the very busy office of her construction company, Martin-Pinero, CPM.  She confidently smiles as she points out her name is on the door. 

 “The opportunity to own a business in Cuba is not only denied to all citizens, but if one starts a very small business venture, they are at the mercy of persecution, detention, or Castro’s apparatus could issue an eminent domain on the property where business was conducted,” said Martin.  “Knowing the consequences, we opened a business in... Read More

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