Business owners Bill Zengel and Richard Ginn realized that in order to achieve the desired level of success for their business they needed to better understand all financial aspects of their company. They enrolled in training workshops offered through the NJSBDC at Brookdale Community College concerning financials and business recordkeeping. The training, coupled with personalized one-on-one counseling sessions, provided them with the necessary tools to advance their operations and led them to securing the required financial capital to further expand their business.
Black Rocket Productions was founded almost 10 years ago, as a labor of love and collaboration between Bill Zengel and his daughter, Sarah. The company is a leading independent educational service provider delivering summer camp programs and year-round educational opportunities for youth who are six to17 years old. The educational workshops are primarily provided through established community based organizations such as community colleges, public libraries, home-schooled groups, after-school programs and town recreational organizations. Their hands-on initiatives focus on digital arts enrichment and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs. The company has recently added five new products to its current line of educational products.
With NJSBDC’s assistance the company grew from one employee to seven full and part-time employees year round within the last three years. In addition, their seasonal staff has grown from 20 to over 100 during the same time period. The company’s size has doubled and its revenues have tripled. The firm’s owners/operators want to continue its growth in a controlled fashion with the help of the NJSBDC at Brookdale.
The firm is now developing a non-profit Children’s Institute of Technology to benefit elementary schools and is also considering opening a charter school that emphasizes technology, creativity, and leadership.
“Black Rocket and the thousands of children we teach owe a debt of gratitude to the NJSBDC at Brookdale Community College for helping us secure capital at a significant stage of our business,” said owner Richard Ginn.
Jackeline Mejias-Fuertes, Assistant Director of the NJ Small Business Development Center at Brookdale Community College, explains the definition of a small business and the types of assistance offered by the NJSBDC.
Charles Schlapfer
Le-Ed Concrete
1609 Lakewood Rd
Toms River, NJ 08755
(732) 341-4546
Established in 1970, Le-Ed Construction started as a concrete contracting company specializing in curb and sidewalk installation. Expanding from the contracting side of the business in the 1980′s, the organization evolved into a masonry material and landscape supply distribution center with three locations in Ocean County.
Le-Ed Concrete & Supply Company manufactures Ready-Mix Concrete in its plant located in Toms River. They also sell hardscaping products such as pavers and retaining wall stone and a full line of masonry materials, making Le-Ed Concrete & Supply Company Ocean County’s largest provider of natural stone, boulders, sand and gravel.
In 2007, feeling the early squeeze of the economic downturn, Le-Ed turned to the NJSBDC at Brookdale Community College, enrolling its General Manager, Charles Schlapfer, in the Entrepreneur Certificate Program, and taking advantage of the center’s programs and services.
With the assistance and guidance of center staff Jackeline Mejias-Fuertes, Jacqueline Hoehn and Bill Nunnally, Le-Ed was able to obtain the proper registrations for government contracting opportunities with local, county, state and federal offices. In 2010, Le-Ed has obtained more than $350,000 in public works contracts bringing the total of government contracts to over $750,000 in the past two years! These contracts have allowed Le-Ed to maintain their workforce and keep people employed during this turbulent economy.
With NJSBDC’s guidance, Le-Ed has bid and won contracts this year with agencies that include: The Joint Base at McGuire, Lakehurst, and Fort Dix; New Jersey Departments of Transportation and Environmental Protection; NJ Turnpike Authority; Monmouth County Highway, Bridge and Engineering Departments; Monmouth County Parks Department; Ocean County Roads Department; Ocean County Utilities Authority; Townships of Toms River and Little Egg Harbor; and City of Trenton.
Further, Le-Ed has developed a Vessel Wash Water Containment System that has been installed at more than 15 marinas statewide. These marinas received funding through the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium / New Jersey Sea Grant due to Le-Ed participation in the grant proposal process.
According to the company, “Le-Ed Concrete exists with the motto that we offer premium products at a high level of service. Through our work with the NJSBDC, we have been able to expand our customer base and continue to adhere to our core mission of providing excellent products and services. Our recent survival and our past success have been greatly assisted by the NJSBDC.”
Listen to this radio interview with Jackeline Mejias-Fuertes, Assistant Director of the NJ Small Business Development Center at Brookdale Community College. They discuss a critical aspect of small business… the Business Plan. If you want to succeed, you need a plan. If you don’t have, now is the time to start one!
Thank you to Glen Dalakian and Peter Grandich of Tandem Radio.
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NJSBDC network is an accredited member of the Association of Small Business Development Centers.