DeSantis Construction Wins 2008 Success Award

At the age of 15, like many teenagers, Dominick DeSantis wanted to earn money so he could save up for a car when he turned 17. His father, who worked for a construction company, suggested his son apply for a job there. As destiny would have it, DeSantis was offered a job and for the next two years he worked part time while he was in school and full time during the summer. Upon graduating from high school he decided to stay with the trade and worked for the next 16 years learning about excavation techniques and machinery.

In 1996, DeSantis decided to venture off on his own and started a one-man paving and excavation business. He began doing small jobs and quickly developed a solid reputation that enabled him to expand his business by securing larger jobs. Rapid expansion always creates challenges for small business owners-and Dominick was no exception. In 2004 he cleared the first set of hurdles, staffing and space, when he hired four people and secured the funding to build a 6,000 square-foot building to house his equipment and staff.

By December of 2006 he recognized there were many deficiencies in his financial record-keeping so he contacted the Small Business Development Center at Raritan Valley Community College (SBDC at RVCC) for assistance. SBDC Operations Director Bill Harnden sat down with DeSantis and his office manager, Danielle Pallitto, to review their record-keeping and office procedures. They identified a number of inefficient areas. Harnden went to work to help make sense of the numbers and begin shaping a more useful system. “Our reports and processes were all over the place,” says Pallitto. “The SBDC came in and taught us how to organize our general ledger and our paperwork so we could effectively make decisions and submit competitive bids.” After several months of counseling, DeSantis Construction was back on track. Their revenues went from $1 million in 2006 to $1.3 million in 2007. They expect to top the $2 million mark in 2008.

During the record review and counseling process, Harnden recognized that the cost of DeSantis’ debt was extremely high. Working together they came up with a plan to restructure debt. Harnden brought in several local lenders to review their plan. After receiving several loan contracts, DeSantis signed a $1.1 million dollar loan contract with Affinity Credit Union in February of 2008. With his cash flow vastly improved and the receipt of extra working capitol, Dominick has been able to hire four additional people and purchase a new milling machine.

DeSantis Construction
491 Elizabeth Ave
Somerset, NJ 08873
Tel # 732-764-1800
www.DeSantisConstruction.com

Discover Wine Wins 2006 Success Award

Discover Wine, located in Somerville, NJ, first put out their carpet in November of 2004. The store’s concept began in July 2003 when an architect (Kevin Cahill), a banker (Ken Rommel) and an anesthesiologist (Mark Pillon) met at several functions for their children. At each get together they would take turns supplying the wines and soon they became well known for picking fine wines around a $15 price tag. What began as a social interaction became the foundation of their business plan. “See what kids can do?” said Cahill.

When drafting their business plan they identified the need to get assistance with their marketing plan. Cahill and Rommel met with RVCC SBDC counselor Vicki Lynn Morgan to map out their marketing strategy. “Vicki stressed the importance of customer service to better the competition,” stated Rommel. “She convinced us that price alone will not build loyalty.” They also met with SBDC at RVCC Regional Director Sue Johnson to go over the planning stages. According to Cahill, “We are amazed that we haven’t made any BIG mistakes. We made the mistakes on paper and then fixed them with the help of Morgan and Johnson and Nat Bender who provided us with helpful guidance on putting our requirements together for our website.” “Because of this our business is doing great. Gross sales increased 20% from our 3rd quarter figures in 2005 compared to the same period in 2006 and we have been able to add four employees and are gearing up for what is anticipated as a big holiday season,” said Rommel.

Discover Wine’s motto is “Great value means more than a great price.” They make it easy to choose a delicious wine because the wines are arranged by how they taste—not by where they come from or which grapes they’re made with. It’s easy to get great value when you buy their wines because they are hand-selected and pre-tasted from the most exciting, new and undiscovered vineyards around the world. New selections are offered to the public at wine tasting sessions every Saturday from 1 to 4pm. Approximately 50 to 60 people attend these sessions. In addition to the Saturday sessions, Discover Wine provides team building events for major corporations and is partnering with RVCC’s Corporate and Continuing Education Department providing wine tasting classes to the community.

Visit the Discover Wine website.

Taste of Crete Wins 2005 Success Award

Taste of Crete, a gourmet food company, is the winner of the SBDC RVCC 2005 Success Award. According to Taste of Crete (TOC) founder, Esther Psarakis, “Taste of Crete was born out of a personal passion for the people, culture, history and food of Crete.” Ms. Psarakis, born and raised in America, married into a Greek family. After several annual excursions to her husband’s family farm in Crete she began to understand the history and dietary importance of olive oil in the Greek culture.

TOC’s officially opened its doors for business in early 2004 and began importing Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Crete. The oil carries the “PDO, Protected Designation of Origin” seal, a highly coveted European Union recognition for quality. In 2005 TOC introduced ‘Evangelia’s Traditional Greek Cookies’ to its line of products. The recipe is made with olive oil and wine. Also in 2005 TOC gained national recognition by winning a Silver Medal at the 2005 International Olive Oils of the World Competition. Visit their Greek specialty foods website.

Stellar Academy Wins 2004 Success Award

Nestled in the Township of Bridgewater is one of New Jersey’s premier childcare learning centers. Stellar Academy is exactly what its name implies; the concept is out of this world. The academy is owned and operated by two sisters; Ms. Mary Matthews, who serves as the Business Director, and Dr. Margaret Buley, who serves as the Education Director.

In September of 2002, Ms. Matthews attended the NJEDA Entrepreneurial Training Institute program hosted by the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC). SBDC Director, Sue Johnson, was a facilitator for the program and assisted Ms. Matthews with developing her business, marketing and financial plans. With their business plan completed, Ms. Matthews and Dr. Buley secured an SBA loan from Valley National Bank. With the essential funding and after a year of careful planning, they opened for business in September of 2004.

Expecting a gradual climb in attendance, Stellar Academy blossomed quickly to 130 children – 80% of the Academy’s operating capacity, and full capacity could be reached within the first year of operation. Visit the Stellar Academy website.