SBDC Article - 2016

"When her boss at The Insulation Man told Susan Gahagan that he was going to retire and sell the business, she resisted the urge to panic and instead began to envision herself as the owner of the company that had employed her for twenty years. As Office Manager, Susan knew every one of the hard-working employees and had seen the business grow exponentially over the years. Susan shared her entrepreneurial thoughts with co-worker David Currie and they decided to buy the business. Susan and David knew that they could conitnue to provide residential spray foam insulation services. They also saw potential increased revenues and capacity if they expanded the business by selling to commercial customers and pursuing procurement opportunities. They consulted Advisor Ginny Thompson at the Binghamton SBDC for help in developing their business plan and financial projections. When Ginny retired from the SBDC, Advisor Jocelyn Thornton began working with the partners. In 2015, Susan and David fullfilled their dreams of being business owners. They secured a loan with M&T Bank that came with an SBA guarantee, and also obtained a line of credit from M&T. Most importantly, they saved the jobs of 14 employees and plan to created two additional jobs. Susan and David participated in the SBDC's MWBE Contractor Bond Readiness Program this year and will pursue MWBE certification once they have been in business for the required one year. Susan commented that "Jocelyn's guidance and enthusiasm were essential to us reaching our goal."