Sunshine Stables fills community need through GFDA loan and SBDC advising!
Kalen McKelvey’s love of horses began at an exceedingly early age. But it was not until she moved to Montana from New Hampshire that she could purchase her first horse. Kalen met Jake, a native of Cut Bank and a fellow animal lover, and they were married in April 2017. When Kalen had a dream of starting a business in the horse industry, Jake was on board! They started Sunshine Stables in the spring of 2020.
The community support and response for boarding services was tremendous. Sunshine Stables had a waiting list, and expansion was necessary to keep up with demand and grow the business.
Sunshine Stables secured funding through a GFDA Gap loan and worked with Small Business Advisor Rich Gannon on the business plan.
“We got the ball rolling and he gave me a good checklist on what needed to be done to get the business started. Rich was a great resource and when it was time connected me with Jill to secure the financing. It was a wonderful experience. GFDA made my dream of Sunshine Stables a reality.”
SBA 504 Loan Allows Local Pharmaceutical Company to Expand Patient Care Offerings
Matt and Abby Mills, Big Sky Managed Care, in front of their prescription sorting and packaging robot – one of just 30 worldwide.
The SBA 504 Loan Program ensured Montana’s only closed-door pharmacy was able to continue providing vital services to Montanans in need.
Operating out of a 3,000 square foot space and faced with substantial growth opportunities, Big Sky Managed Care (BSMC) needed a larger space to continue their pharmacy services for the state of Montana. BSMC specializes in compliance med packaging as well as medical supplies to underserved communities including assisted living facilities, skilled nursing homes, jails, group homes and mental health communities. With the help of the SBA 504 Loan through High Plains Financial, BSMC is now occupying a 10,000 square foot space that required only 10% equity injection, coupled with 50% bank financing, and the remaining 40% utilizing the new 25-year debenture with a low, fixed interest rate.
“We aim to be the gap between the patient and the provider.”
Big Sky Managed Care started in 2015. In 2016, BSMC expanded into the medical supply market and has been able to provide a complete medical package to their clients and facilities they serve. This expansion gives them the extra room needed to grow their medical supply and pharmacy sales along with adding a state of the art sterile IV room.
Let's Play: Games and Toys
“Our mortgage payment is actually almost half of what we were paying for rent, so our monthly expenses have gone down significantly, and we own it,” said Nicole. “There is no way we would be where we are today without the help of GFDA over the years. There is just absolutely no way. Even if they just want to kick around some ideas, the small business development center is perfect because you get help, especially with budgeting and analysis, and can even afford your idea. We now have a forever home.”
Montana Build
“The SBA 504 Loan was instrumental in helping the Montana Build team expand operations into larger headquarters.”
– Paul McElroy, Owner
Easter Seals Renovation
“We hadn’t even considered Brownfield funding when we started the process of renovating two large buildings built in the 1950s – we probably couldn’t have completed the project without those funds.”
– Dennis Peterson, ESGW, discussing the renovation of a vacant building in Downtown Great Falls MT
Vernon Quality Carpentry
“We had been in the business for quite some time before I went to them, but I wasn’t in a real good position. A lot to do with downtown, but also not having the experience, knowledge, or education that I really needed to manage my finances and get from one job to the next. GFDA helped to finance my company so that we could accept three contracts that were offered to us simultaneously and allow me to hire the crew I needed to be able to spread out between Great Falls, Billings and Butte.”
– Shelly Vernon, Owner
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