Don’s Custom Cabinets
711 1st Avenue
Longmont, CO 80501
303-772-5874
don@donscustomcabinets.com

Don began with a hobby: tinkering on a wood products for a friend in his garage wondering if starting a business is a good idea. Like many successful entrepreneurs, Don ran with the idea and is now his own boss. When the time came to expand business capabilities, CEF helped Don take advantage of the housing boom in Northern Colorado. Loan proceeds were used to fund a 4,000 square foot building with a great front-end showroom and a large back-end area for his manufacturing.

Don’s Counter Tops is the only certified and licensed Corian counter top installer in Northern Colorado. Corian has a great product line that is in demand in medium to upscale homes. Don’s cabinets fits the same price-point and has a good share of the residential remodel and custom home builder markets. CEF has also provided some technical assistance. “We worked with Don to help solve some cashflow issues that are common among growing businesses” said Eric Holloway, Manager of Consulting Services. “Don is clearly a success story. Few other small business owners have such a strong knowledge of the local market and the industry.” he added.

Don loves both overseeing the business from the back office and working with his employees in the shop. His challenge is choosing where to dedicate his time and of course, when to hit the off-switch and go home.

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Diana D. Gadison
Early Success Academy, Inc.
5377 Blackhawk Way
Denver, CO 80239

Diana is a former elementary school principal and teacher that opened her childcare center three years ago. CEF loaned her the money to buy playground equipment and add another classroom. Early Success Academy is licensed for 30 children and is located in Montbello, a low-income community in northwest Denver. Diana places a high priority on providing quality care to low income children and is one of the first private providers to operate a Head Start preschool as part of the Academy’s services. The program received a 6.5 out of 7 rating on the Eckers quality inspection, an unusual accomplishment for such a new center. Diana also supervises 16 other early childhood centers through her work with Denver Public Schools.

When Diana was asked, "What does it mean to you to own and operate your own business?" she responded; "It's a dream come true! It has given me confidence in other areas of my life as well. It reinforced the 'can do' attitude I always had yet I was afraid to step out there without knowing what support systems were available. I can now mentor others who look at being a business person. I also feel stronger to push to higher heights in the childcare industry and form partnerships I hadn't realized were there. Thank you CEF, you helped change my thoughts about business and my life!

Why would you encourage other entrepreneurs to seek financing from CEF? Diana replied by saying, "It's not just the money. Yes, the money puts you over the top, but it's the coaching that provides you with the most effective way to use the money. It also encouraged me to shake the 'credit loser' feeling I started to get from traditional lenders. CEF helped me to feel 'if you work with us, we'll work with you', that's called accountability! That's why others should seek CEF!"

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G&B Custom Insurance Solutions, Inc.
Gail Salazar
8310 South Valley Hwy
Englewood, CO 80112
303-524-1333

Many people who work for large corporations dream about starting their own business. For the majority of these people, the opportunity to realize that dream never arrives.

That was not the case for Gail Salazar. This success story began soon after she was laid off from a large insurance company where she worked for fifteen years. Gail approached CEF for a loan to start her own insurance business. She used the proceeds of the loan for a laptop computer, marketing costs, and other critical startup capital. G&B Custom Insurance Solutions is an independently owned agency that offers multi-line products of home, commercial, casualty, life, accident, and health insurance. She focuses on providing customized insurance packages for both personal and commercial needs.

Gail’s hard work and knowledge of the industry have allowed her to grow and prosper through the initial startup phase. Since receiving her CEF loan, she has hired two staff and moved to a larger office. G&B is meeting its targeted projections and is now receiving annual commissions for previously sold policies. Ideas are already in the works to open more offices in the Denver Metro area.

When asked what she likes best about her new career direction, Gail replied “I like the long term benefit of having my own company. There is more opportunity than working for a large corporation.” Gail’s story is an excellent example of how an unexpected situation turns out to be a blessing in disguise.

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Susan Matthews, President and Founder
Camp Kazoo
601 Park Point Drive
Golden, CO 80401

Many women dream of how to mesh their roles as mothers and business women, but Susan Matthews has turned that dream into reality for herself and her 15 employees. "Having my own business has been a dream I have had since I was a little girl. And it has been everything to me that I imagined. It has allowed me to be my most creative, and actually see my ideas put into action. It has let me establish a working environment that works for my life, and for the lives of my employees. I feel immensely empowered to know that I could succeed when put to the test, and believe strongly in the power of small business in America."

Matthews was named Entrepreneur of the Year by the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce in 1996 and ranked number 29 on the Denver Business Journal’s 1998 list of the 150 best privately-owned companies, and number 28 on the 2000 list of fastest growing privately held companies. She takes great pride in being able to create not only innovative products which bring joy to children but also a company with a family-friendly work environment which helps her employees – all women – to successfully combine work and family life.

She created a baby pillow that has taken her from her childrens’ daycare center where she first tried out the product in 1989 to a company with sales of $8 million 10 years later. This patented pillow design called the "Boppy", is only one of a line of creative children’s products under the Camp Kazoo banner. Other products also created by Matthews include Reddy Freddy, a countdown timer watch for preschoolers, and Transfer Mations, paint-by-number patterns for children’s wall murals, and Noggin Nest, a neck support pillow for infants.

Susan credits CEF for providing the financing when her business needed it to survive. CEF made its first loan to Camp Kazoo to provide the working capital Matthews needed for her first appearance at the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) trade show, which launched the company into the national market after it won best-of-show. She also won New Product of the Year in 1997 for Reddy Freddy, and numerous other awards. .
"There could be no greater impact on one's business than being the catalyst for its existence. If Colorado Enterprise Fund had not given Camp Kazoo loans when it needed them, it would have gone out of business, and never progressed to the $8 million company it is today. Colorado Enterprise Fund may be the only financing alternative available to many, as it was to me. But it plays a bigger role than just that a lender to a small business. Their staff gives advice, helps establish relationships that can lead to the next stage of financing, and gives encouragement along the emotionally and financially difficult road to building a small business."

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Autoworks International
Gene and Brenda Kloke
1907 East 129th Avenue
Thornton, CO 80241
303-781-3520
autoworksinter@aol.com

A CEF loan enabled Gene, a former Realtor turned body and paint man, and his wife Brenda, to purchase two auto body repair and paint shops in November, 1996. In 2003, they moved their business into a larger facility and used an additional loan from CEF to purchase inventory to handle the client growth.

Although Autoworks serves individuals, the majority of his customers are insurance referrals. Autoworks is on the preferred business referral list of Allstate, State Farm, Progressive, and other major insurance companies. Gene also exclusively handles the work for the fleet companies Yellow Cab, Larry’s Flowers, and Super Shuttle. The insurance and fleet
referrals have increased the average job ticket from $1000 to $1800, thereby generating large dollar volume in work.

Lewis Hagler, CEF Director of Operations, has worked with the Kloke’s over the years and commented “Gene has great business skills, and really knows what it takes to make a business grow.” Anyone who talks to Gene or visits his new facility will come to the same conclusion.

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