Success Stories

Dandy Candy, A Chocolate Lover's Dream Business

 

 

Dandy Candy, LLC was started in 2006 by friends and co-owners Goya Qualls and Gina Williams.  Dandy Candy is a retail business specializing in printing full color images, photographs, logos and messages onto chocolate products.   

The unique business started after Goya Qualls was laid off from the insurance industry where she worked for 24 years.  With the ambition of starting her own business, she was reminded of her mother’s saying, “You should do what you love.”  Jokingly, she answered herself, “I love chocolate.”  What started off as a joke turned into a real business.

After much research, Qualls discovered the idea of selling personalized chocolates and pitched the idea to her friend Gina Williams, a retired disabled veteran who had recently moved from Louisiana to Houston after Hurricane Katrina.  Gina was immediately on board.  Leaving the chocolate making process to the experts, Qualls and Williams focused on creating graphics and designs to... Read More

From Pro Basketball Player to Entrepreneur

Houstonians may remember Reggie Slater when he played basketball for Kashmere High School but many remember Slater when he played professional basketball for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, and Toronto Raptors.  Today Slater is an entrepreneur and the owner of six oil lube businesses in the Houston area and Slaters Sports Zone in Richmond, Texas.

Prior to retiring from pro basketball, Slater prepared for a transition in his career by purchasing an oil lube business in Houston.  He later purchased five more lube businesses, some financed with loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.  Retirement from the hectic basketball player’s lifestyle gave Slater the opportunity to spend more time with his wife and children.  While coaching his son’s basketball team, Slater realized there were no sports facilities that can hosts tournaments in south Houston, where he resides.  Motivated by the desire to help and encourage young people to better their lives through... Read More

Veteran-Owned Business Expands With SBA Loan

 

 

Houston based SniperHill Internet Services, LLC was started in 2007 by Wallace Davis and Jerry Hartless.  An approved US government contractor, SniperHill provides unlimited commercial Internet solutions to US and Coalition Armed Forces, civilian contractors and International businesses operating on US bases in Iraq and Afghanistan.  SniperHill began providing internet services in Iraq in 2007 and in 2010 became the first fiber optic internet provider for the US Armed Forces in Iraq. 

Davis and Hartless have a combined 30+ years of specialized computer security and information technology experience.  Davis is a US army veteran and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Government Studies and a Master’s in Computer Resources and Information Management.  His 12 year military career includes resource management for software upgrades for US army facilities and a lead for ITT Services Corporation in Kosovo. His experiences also include Adjunct Instructor at Maryland... Read More

SBA Loan Helps Local Company Survive Recession

 

SBA Loan Helps Local Company Survive Recession

Chief Rufus Davis, a Tribal Chief of the Adai Indian Nation in Louisiana, is the founder and CEO of Chief Solutions, Inc. based in Houston, Texas.  Chief Solutions is a technical consulting firm specializing in sewer systems providing mapping of underground utility services, identification of problems in underground infrastructures, and physical inspections of water and wastewater drainage systems.  Chief Davis started the company with $1,200.00 in 1985 installing sewer systems and related services with rented equipment.  Today, Chief Solutions is an industry leader in sanitary and storm sewer evaluation studies with over 100 employees and field offices in Atlanta, Dallas, Indianapolis, Robeline, and Louisiana. 

Although Chief Solutions is now a thriving company, the recession impacted the business like many others.  In 2007, Chief Davis updated and replaced nine of his sewer cleaning trucks with brand new trucks... Read More

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