Success Stories

Situation

Paul Isenberg learned many lessons from his adopted family: his mother, a teacher for 40 years; his father, a banker; and his grandfather, best friend and mentor. Although he had enjoyed a very successful career in sales and marketing, Paul’s heart tugged at his passion for teaching and an itch for becoming an entrepreneur. With this background, plus an undergraduate degree in education and an MBA, Paul started an elite child care learning center in his hometown, Bowling Green, KY with his wife, Stacy. Despite the unique skills he acquired and the wisdom his family provided from their careers and experiences, Paul and Stacy ran into major challenges from the start.

How the SBA helped

Paul contacted the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), an SBA resource partner, shortly after forming the company. The SBDC assisted Paul and Stacy in developing a plan to fund a new location with SBA loans. Paul still faced... Read More

Situation:

Broadbent B&B Food Products, Inc. d/b/a Broadbent Hams, has been curing country hams, bacon and sausage since 1909. The company went through rapid expansion and several changes in ownership before being purchased by Elizabeth and Ronald Drennan in 1999. While business was good and the reputation excellent, the company was housed in three leased facilities, which were very old and outdated.  Beth Drennan stated that the biggest challenge was operating in multiple buildings with inefficient production equipment.

Solution: How the SBA Helped:

With the assistance of an SBA lender, Beth and Ronny were able to expand their business and move it to a single, new location in rural Lyon County.  The SBA 504 loan enabled the company to own one efficient building, achieve higher production standards, accept larger orders and eliminate lease payments. Consolidating all operations into one building large facility has... Read More

Situation:

In 2012, Mavis Linnemann-Clark opened The Delish Dish, a catering company in Covington, KY. She obtained a Catering and Personal Chef certificate in 2011, having combined her passion for travel, cooking globally inspired dishes with 12 years of experience in the food service industry. In 2013, she was a finalist for admittance to Bad Girl Ventures, a woman-focused startup accelerator in the region. She also joined the Northern Kentucky Incubator Kitchen and launched her artisan line of jams and jellies, called Made by Mavis.   In 2015, Mavis became a member of the Kroger Buys Local Campaign through the Kentucky Proud® program for food certified as “raised, grown or processed in Kentucky by Kentuckians.” Despite her success, Mavis needed help running the business side of her business.

Solution: How the SBA Helped:

Rebecca Volpe, Northern Kentucky University SBDC Director, began working with Mavis in 2014.... Read More

Situation: 

Founded in 2008, DB Bourbon Candy, LLC offers over 70 flavors of bourbon filled candy, liqueur filled truffles, chocolate-covered fruit and gift baskets.   The business specializes in bourbon balls, a family recipe created by CEO Robyn Stuart's mother, who passes away in 2002. The company is woman, veteran, and minority owned business in a rural community. While business was good and the reputation excellent, sales were seasonal, and all product was made by hand. 

Solution: How the SBA Helped:

Robyn received small business consulting assistance from the Kentucky Small Business Development Center and the Women's Business Center, SBA resource partners.  Her SBDC counselor helped Ms. Stuart set up an accounting system for the business to help her manage rapid growth and fluctuating cash flow. The WBC provided technical assistance and an SBA microloan that was used to increase production efficiencies.... Read More

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