We first profiled Joseph A. Sanders & Sons, a roofing company located in Buffalo, in December of 2016. As they celebrate their 100th anniversary in 2019, we knew their story deserved to be highlighted.
In 2013, before they began working with Pursuit, the company didn’t know if they would be in business six months later. Now, owner Wendy L. Sanders has been busy working on many significant projects, including one last summer where she was a project manager on their largest job yet!
“The project was a historic restoration of the slate and copper elements at the Jamestown Armory. It was a big job [over $1 million] and involved many trips to Jamestown for job meetings with the Office of General Services, the architect, and field personnel. I am really enjoying rolling up my sleeves and really digging into field operations,” Wendy says.
With 100 years behind Sanders and Sons’ success, Wendy hopes to be able to keep the Sanders name in the roofing community for many years to come.
Sanders and Sons first worked with Pursuit in 2014, receiving a $200,000 line of credit through the Bridge to Success program. Wendy refers to it as a “springboard to the present.”
“The initial loan helped me stabilize our business after a couple of shaky years. Having sufficient cash flow and the security of increased financing allowed us to focus on bidding and strategic priorities to keep the business profitable,” she says.
Wendy has renewed her company’s line of credit previously and partnered with Pursuit again recently to renew it again at $300,000. Wendy requested these renewals in the event an additional opportunity becomes available to her and the company. While their success has been remarkable, Wendy has even higher hopes for the company’s future.
“I hope we can continue to promote women in construction and debunk myths that women business owners just sit around the office or worse, on the couch watching soap operas and eating bon bons,” she says.
As far as business goals for the future, Wendy plans on building off their momentum to work towards something bigger.
“I have a lot of energy and would like to use my expertise to expand into consulting with architects for projects outside of our geographical workforce reach. The key to my long-term plan is the identification of a successor who I can bring into the business,” says Wendy.
Wendy also offered some advice to other business owners who are seeking alternate financing. “Do it! Having an intimate understanding of your particular business circumstance and the ability to demonstrate your management competence is key,” she says. “I have been a client of the Small Business Development Center at Buffalo State College and have found the guidance they provide really helped position me to be a good candidate for Pursuit and their loan programs.“
