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Small-business owner credits Small Business Development Center coach for helping him buy and run Withrow Sharpening and Sales
Summary
Alexei Campbell, manager of Withrow Sharpening and Sales in Huntington, West Virginia, said assistance from a Small Business Development Center coach helped him acquire an $850,000 business and prepare the documents banks required despite not having a credit score.
Alexei Campbell, the manager of Withrow Sharpening and Sales in Huntington, West Virginia, said the Small Business Development Center helped him navigate bank requirements and secure a transfer of an $850,000 business that was founded in 1974.
Campbell said he first approached a Small Business Development Center coach with what he called a “harebrained and impossible” idea as a 21-year-old. "I wouldn't have a business without the Small Business Development Center," he said, describing the center's role in preparing the materials lenders requested.
The coach, Doug Harper, who identified himself as a Small Business Development Center coach in Huntington, said his first practical question was about Campbell's credit: "What's your credit score?" Harper recounted that Campbell replied, "I don't have a credit score," because he had never previously sought credit. Harper said he initially doubted the prospect but grew convinced Campbell had the industry knowledge and work ethic to run the business.
Campbell described the business's daily operations — sharpening blades, pulling orders and making Monday deliveries — and emphasized that service is what sets the shop apart. He also recounted that the business had been started in 1974 and that he took on an $850,000 purchase when he was 21.
Campbell said the Small Business Development Center and Harper helped him assemble the folder of documents that lenders wanted: "When you actually sit down with the introduction with the bank ... you open your folder up and you hand it to them, that's a powerful statement," he said. He added that preparing those materials was a core capability the center provided.
The remarks were delivered as part of a presentation to the meeting and focused on the practical steps and coaching the center provided to help a young owner meet lender requirements. No formal action or vote was recorded on this item during the meeting.
