Success Stories

It was 2019 when Harold Elias-Perciful was searching for his “next thing.” He had recently retired from a 40-year career as a minister in the Dallas, Texas area. His wife Barbara works as the director of a non-profit child advocacy organization.

In keeping with their personalities and desire to serve, Harold considered pursuing something in the hospitality sector—perhaps a bed and breakfast, or an inn. Then they had the good fortune of traveling to Eureka Springs, Arkansas for a romantic getaway.

The couple enjoyed visiting Eureka Springs and had done so many times over the years, accompanying church groups or just getting away by themselves. On this trip however, they learned that a resort known as Treehouse Cottages had recently gone on the market.

A 30-year-old destination, Treehouse Cottages is made up of eight rustic cabins, seven of which were constructed on stilts so they sit elevated among the surrounding old-growth forest. Each cabin is secluded and features such amenities as stone fireplaces, antique furnishings, tiffany chandeliers, private decks, and Jacuzzis or hot tubs. Recently, the resort has been listed by Reader’s Digest as one of its “Most Magical Treehouse Hotels in the World.”

The Cottages looked like the retirement opportunity Harold had been praying for, and Barbara was in full support. A friend told them that an SBA loan might help them financially. They met with Tammy Bullock at Cornerstone Bank to inquire about a business loan for purchasing the resort, and she guided through every step of the loan process. She recommended the 504 loan and suggested partnering with RMI Business Finance. By sharing the lending risk with RMI, Cornerstone could make the loan happen. According to Harold, the 504 loan made it possible for the deal to go through.

“Really, the smaller down payment and lower interest rate are what enabled us—a retired pastor and non-profit director—to buy this property,” he said. “Everything just magically came together to make this happen for us. I’m careful to say this, but I definitely think it was a miracle.”

Harold and Barbara closed the loan with Cornerstone Bank in September 2019, and closed with RMI in February of 2020. Upon completing the loan, the couple took possession of two parcels of land: 35 acres of pine forest at the edge of town that contains the four king-size cabins, and roughly 2 acres in town where the other four cabins, gift shop, and office are located.

The Cottages became a shared partnership for Harold and Barbara. He oversees the day-to-day details of working with guests and the 8-member staff, and she gives input on the resort’s various business matters and legal issues while still running her nonprofit.

“We walked into a rolling good business,” Harold says. “The only time it’s quiet around here is in January, and the rest of the year is pretty active. Our tree houses are booked year-round. The summer’s really big and we have people booking for the fall foliage two years in advance. Valentine’s Day is booked two years in advance because the treehouses are so romantic,” he says. “It’s a romantic town.”

Since its inception in 1994, Wichita, Kansas-based Omni Aerospace, Inc. has built a solid reputation as a leading aerospace manufacturer and aircraft parts supplier. The company, with its 60+ employees, specializes in custom engineering, electrical assembly, and aircraft part manufacturing.

When Chris Gordon signed on as the new CFO of Omni in April of 2017, the company was on the verge of expansion. John O’Neill—Omni’s CEO and founder—and his team were formulating a plan for increasing production in the company’s manufacturing operation. This plan called for investing in larger and additional aerostructure milling machines. The powerful, whirling spindles on these high-speed, computer-driven machines can carve blocks of aluminum into aircraft parts in a matter of minutes.

“Making big parts fast is what it’s all about,” says John O’Neill. “But we had to get the capabilities in place in order to have the kind of growth that we wanted. This was a large capital expansion project that we entered into as part of a strategic plan of growth for Omni.”

John, Chris, and their team at Omni began to compile a list of the machinery needed to carry out their plan for growth. After calculating the total costs of the desired machinery, including costs for shipping and rigging, they met with KS StateBank vice president, Dee Reichenberger about financing for the project.

“Dee directed us toward working with RMI,” says Chris. “KS StateBank had done some other projects before, but I don’t think anything of the same scope that we were doing. So, it was a little bit of a stretch for them.”

Dee introduced them to RMI’s Annette Darnell. Together, Annette and Dee walked them through the process and assisted them with their first SBA 504 loan, finalized in December of 2019.

“Doing an SBA loan is a complex task,” says Chris. “And working with RMI enabled us to accomplish that task to the bank’s satisfaction and to the SBA’s satisfaction with a minimum amount of pain and suffering on our part.”

John agrees: “I think it’s safe to say that without it being an SBA 504 loan, we wouldn’t have been able to capture the amount of capital equipment we did. We wouldn’t have gone for it, so growth would have been limited.”

Today, with the new equipment purchased and installed, the milling machines are up and humming and production has soared—all according to plan. And with this new capital investment in place, Omni Aerospace revenues are expected to double within the next three years.

“The outlook is very, very good,” O’Neill adds. “The 504 loan has opened the barn doors to our growth.”

Ryan Summers got his first taste of the pharmacy business as a high school student in his hometown of Clinton, MO. His part-time job then was delivering prescriptions rather than filling them. But it was inspiration enough for him to pursue the education he would need to become a pharmacist.

After high school, he attended the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Pharmacy. That’s where he met his future wife, Julie, who was in the same field of study. Both graduated and each pursued careers—Ryan at a pharmacy chain store, and Julie at an independent pharmacy.

The couple married in 2006 and settled in Clinton, where seven years later they opened their first Summers Pharmacy in 2013.

The business grew and by 2018 the Summers owned and operated 12 pharmacies throughout west and southwest Missouri. Their pharmacy in Butler, MO was a small location located around the square in the downtown business district. According to Ryan, the downtown location was always intended to be temporary until they could find a perfect spot to build the permanent store. Eventually, when the right property became available, Ryan and Julie took the next step in obtaining the pharmacy’s new home.

The Summers approached Dave Garnett and Kristi Austin at Hawthorn Bank in Clinton with their plans for securing the property and building the new store. They were not surprised when the lenders suggested a 504 loan for the project. The Summers had made use of 504 loans to finance two of their earlier pharmacy locations.

“We like the security that comes from the longer term and locked-in lower interest rate with the 504 loan, as well as the lower up-front costs,” Summers said. “And banks find the 504 loan attractive too because it allows them to share the loan risk with the SBA.”

With financing secured, the Summers built their new Butler store—a 3,300 square foot structure located next to a small shopping center.

With the new, larger store completed, two additional full-time employees were hired. This brought the total to seven, making sure the needs of patients and pharmacy customers of Butler as well as all of Bates County are met.

“We strive to go above and beyond with customer service,” says Ryan. “We offer things like free delivery and prescription synchronization.

The focus on service has led to continued success for the Summers and their stores—a trend that shows no signs of stopping. On the contrary, plans are already in the works for the next Summers Pharmacy location.

For 14 years, Ben Weisz made the daily commute to downtown Kansas City from his home in the small town of Norberne, MO. As a union ironworker, he helped construct many of the buildings that make up KC’s distinctive skyline. His experiences there taught him a great deal about welding and working with steel.

Because his neighbors knew of his welding abilities and problem-solving skills, they increasingly sought him out to ask for his help.

“They would come by and say ‘can you fix this, or can you fix that?” says Weisz. The more he said yes, the more he began to think there was a market in Norberne for his welding services. “I thought, well maybe I just need to do this here.”

Ben began operating Weisz Welding out of a large shed on his property, specializing in welding, repair, and metal fabrication. Soon materials and equipment began to dominate the working floor space of the shed. He was going to need more room.

At about the same time, Weisz learned that the owner of a welding shop in the nearby town of Carrollton had retired. Carrollton, which is the county seat of Carroll County, is a larger community and is the main agricultural hub for the region. The opportunity for relocating and exposing his business to more potential customers, combined with dwindling workspace in Norberne, told him the time was right for moving the shop.

However, the move would end up taking more than a year because the properties he sought were either not available, zoned incorrectly, or—in one case—deemed a hazardous materials site.

Finally in 2016, the city of Carrollton notified Ben that a suitable property had become available on the north edge of town. This tract would eventually become the new home of Weisz Welding.

To seek financing for the new property and the construction of a building, Ben reached out to Mark Claypool at Goppert Financial Bank of Norborne. After discussing his needs, Claypool suggested collaborating with RMI Business Finance with whom Goppert had worked before. Lucas Berhorst at RMI recommended their IRP Loan, designed especially for businesses like Weisz’s which are located in non-metro areas.

The loan closed in April of 2016, and Ben took possession of the 3.75-acre parcel of land. Construction soon began on an 8,500 sq. ft. steel building which was completed within a year. This new structure had plenty of room for Ben’s welding equipment and for storing metal stock, and also featured an abundance of space for the vehicles, farm equipment and trailers upon which Weisz would build his business by working on and repairing.

As the good reputation of Weisz Welding continues to spread, Ben’s business has expanded beyond Carroll County into the larger western Missouri region. He says the most satisfying part of the business for him is in making his customers happy.

“Sometimes it’s a challenge to fix the things they bring in here,” Weisz says. “But coming up with solutions is the fun part.”

After nineteen years working at a credit union in Fayetteville, AR, Sarah McCue was ready for something new. She had grown tired of being cooped up in an office every day, so she resigned as vice president and became the credit union’s part-time compliance officer. This gave her the time and the headspace to explore other options.

One of the options presenting itself was an established nursery and garden center, White River Nursery, located on the east edge of Fayetteville. Sarah had always been a gardener, so it was easy to envision herself and her husband Perry, owning and operating the business. The 10-year-old operation sat on two and one-half acres, featured three large greenhouses, and had a large open area for stocking trees, bushes and shrubs. The nursery had been selling to retail customers for a few years, and before that had existed primarily as a wholesale operation.

When the McCues first asked about purchasing the nursery business, the owner was reluctant to sell. But Sarah gently persisted, and over time the owner warmed to the idea—eventually selling the greenhouses, inventory, and the nursery’s line of business. With the business purchase, she and Perry took over leasing the property the nursery sat upon.

The landowner, who started the nursery a decade earlier, witnessed how well Sarah was doing with the business. “I thought of her as a mentor,” says Sarah. “She just knew the business so well.”

“After a while, she saw that we were actually growing the business and taking proper care of her baby, so she agreed to sell us the land,” said Sarah. “Unfortunately, by this time property values had increased, so we ended up paying more than we had planned.”

Sarah and Perry talked with Legacy Bank about financing the purchase of the nursery property. One option presented was for the bank to finance the whole project, but with an adjustable rate. The other option was to finance with an SBA loan through RMI Business Finance, meaning an in-depth survey and other fees that added several thousand dollars to the loan. The McCues weren’t comfortable with either of these options.

During this process, Sarah had remained in contact with RMI. Since she and Perry were in a good equity position, their RMI loan representative suggested the RMI Direct Loan with its fixed-rate and more security.

“It means a lot less doubt about the future,” says McCue. “Ours is a seasonal business. It helps to know what to expect each month where our loan payment is concerned.”

“There are not a lot of commercial lending options that are fixed-rate,” Sarah says.” And as far as the term and the interest rate, I doubt we could’ve beat what we got with the RMI Direct Loan.”

As a result of the RMI loan, the McCues took ownership of the White River Nursery property in 2020.

If your company or sports team needs embroidered or silkscreened apparel in the Wichita, Kansas area, your best bet is a call to Jeannie Gehrer at Gear for You.

A former accountant and school teacher, Jeannie is a life-long resident of Wichita. In 1997, Jeannie got into the embroidery business at the urging of a friend. That friend owned a successful silkscreen printing company, and found that more and more of her regulars were asking about embroidered apparel. Not wanting to disappoint customers, she reached out to Jeannie about the opportunity. Soon Jeannie bought her first embroidery machine and began operating Gear For You out of her home.

Soon she had three embroidery machines and moved the business to a shopping center location, followed by a move to a larger facility in the north Wichita warehouse district of Bel Air. Still growing, her landlord built a 6,000 sq. ft. building for her in 2012 from which she operated her business for the next seven years.

Then in early 2019, after she was forced to turn away work because of inadequate space and equipment, Jeannie located a possible new location—a five-year-old, 12,000 sq. foot building on the eastern edge of town. She approached her banker Colby May at Andover State Bank to see if he could help. Together they developed a plan for an interim loan, then a 504 loan to replace the previous one. Colby put her in touch with Annette Darnell of RMI and soon Gehrer was able to purchase the new building.

“Annette at RMI was prompt and helpful in answering the questions we had about the loan process,” says Gehrer, “and I don’t think we could have done the deal without the stability of the lower, fixed interest rate of the 504.”

By July 2019, Gear for You had moved into the new building, added the much-needed equipment and resumed operations.

This newer, more visible location meant more walk-in customers. Four more employees were added and the more spacious facility drove production capacity ever higher.

“When they tell me how many shirts our team can run through the screen press in an hour, it always just amazes me,” Jeannie proudly states.

Customers of Gear for You are a mix of ad agencies, schools, athletic teams, and a growing list of corporate clients. In addition to walk-in and phone orders, Gear for You has recently set up convenient online “stores” for schools and teams, where boosters and parents can place orders and pay for team apparel without involving coaches or administrators. This aspect of the business has increased 50% from last year. Gehrer has plans to implement the same model for her corporate and agency clients as well.

From its humble beginnings, Gear for You has grown into quite the family business. Jeannie’s husband Mike—a baseball and football coach—provides inspiration for the business. Her son Rob helps manage the day-to day operation of the business, and her daughter-in-law Angie helps with quality control and setting up the online stores. (Jeannie confesses that if she had to replace Angie, she’d have to hire three people to do her job.)

You’d have to look far and wide to find someone who personifies the fitness lifestyle as well as Stephanie McGrew, owner and operator of Lone Star Physiques in Kirksville, MO.

McGrew started her journey as a child in Lubbock, Texas, but made her way to Kirksville in 2004 when she began her post-secondary education at Truman State University. In 2010 she graduated with two degrees—a B.S. in Exercise Science and a B.A. in Biology.

It was in 2013 while McGrew was pursuing a master’s degree in healthcare administration at A.T. Still University that the idea for Lone Star Physiques came to be.

“Initially the business came about because I needed to make a living, but had to manage my work schedule around my class schedule at A.T. Still,” says McGrew. “When I started the business, I had no idea that it would grow to this magnitude.”

Her business is a health and fitness facility that strives to help educate, motivate, and inspire others to live healthier lives.

“The goal is to help people realize the importance of living and leading healthier lifestyles,” she says.

Lone Star Physiques offers one-on-one personal training sessions, as well as group training classes in areas such as yoga, circuit training, kickboxing, and a unique program called Bridal Boot Camp. Programs for nutritional support, weight loss and online/distance personal training are also offered.

In 2018, the business was flourishing so well that more space was needed. Stephanie put the word out that she was looking for property. She realized it was more cost efficient to own her own place rather than continuing to pay rent.

She located a possible new facility that was 4,500 sq. ft.—big enough for the existing business, plus plenty of room for future expansion.

McGrew shared her plans for the new location with Anastasia Tiedemann, a counselor at the Missouri Small Business Development Center in Kirksville. Tiedemann suggested she get in touch with Mindy Murray at RMI who might be able to assist with financing. Mindy indicated that since McGrew already had a purchase contract on the new property, she was eligible for the RMI Grant Program. RMI Notified McGrew in July, 2020 telling her that she had been awarded the grant, and she moved into the new building in September. She was able to use the grant money to help with needed renovations and for purchasing new equipment.

Now with eight years under her belt owning and operating Lone Star Physiques, McGrew continues to inspire more than 100 of her current fitness students and trainees. She’s also received recognition from her business peers in Kirksville. In 2017, Lone Star Physiques was named Best Weight Loss Facility in Kirksville, and in 2018, McGrew received the Kirksville Chamber of Commerce’s 5 Under 40 award. McGrew has also been on various nationwide entrepreneurial panels speaking about how she started and maintains her business in rural Missouri.

It all started one evening around the backyard fire pit.

The year was 2015 and Bradley Brackman was sharing with his family the frustration he was feeling about the agricultural products manufacturer where he worked. He had offered ideas for improving products but his suggestions weren’t being heard.

That’s when the dream of starting a new family business was born. Bradley, his wife Nicole, along with his parents Bart and Brenda, would start their own ag manufacturing company near their home in La Monte, MO. With that plan in mind, the next step would be to seek a location for the operation, as well as the capital they would need to get the ball rolling.

The Brackmans secured and purchased an owner-financed property to house their new manufacturing operation. Then they had a conversation with Roy Hunter of the Sedalia/Pettis County (Mo.) Economic Development Council. He referred the Brackmans to Mindy Murray of RMI.

Mindy helped Bradley fine-tune his business plan and assisted with the loan application process for RMI’s IRP (Intermediary Relending Program) Loan. The IRP Loan provides financing for fixed assets, inventory or working capital to for-profit businesses in non-metro areas.

“RMI was instrumental in getting us up and running,” shares Brenda, “and Mindy was very helpful.”

The RMI IRP loan provided them with the capital needed to complete some improvements on their 50’x 260’ manufacturing building, as well as the purchase of equipment needed to start production. Soon five additional employees were added to the operation.

The family settled on LAG Industries as the name for the nascent company. LAG stands for the initials of Bradley and Nicole’s children: Lane, August, and Gracie.

Prior to starting LAG Industries, the Brackman’s had worked cattle on their own livestock operation for three decades. From that experience, they had accumulated a wealth of knowledge about the customers they would be serving. They knew, for instance, farmers would be willing to pay a little more for the products they needed if constructed from higher quality, longer-lasting materials, and built-to-suit for the customer’s individual needs. Bart and Bradley set a goal for themselves to ensure a 30-day turnaround on all their products—from taking the order, through manufacturing, and until they personally delivered the finished goods to the customer by truck.

LAG Industries made it a point to specialize in using hot-dipped galvanized heavy-gauge steel to construct top-of-the-line livestock handling equipment, rolled-steel feed bunks, hay-saving feeders, heavy-duty gates and fence to support all sectors of the livestock industry. In addition, LAG fabricates custom metal art, custom signs, home decor, awards and fire pits.

The Brackmans’ simple philosophy of hard work and honest communication has served them well. Growth in the company has happened quicker than expected, with their products in over a dozen states from North Dakota to Texas, and from Wyoming to Virginia—all in just four short years.

On the southern outskirts of Jefferson City, MO sits the charming little town of Wardsville. It’s there you’ll find a white brick structure that’s home to Magnify Salon, and where for six days a week you’ll find its owner, Sarah Linhardt.

Sarah is a former nurse who has worked in the salon business for 12 years. One day in early 2017, Sarah and her husband Nathan visited Wardsville and immediately fell in love with the town. Wardsville seemed to be the best of both worlds—a tight-knit community with a rural feel—yet close enough to nearby Jefferson City and its variety of stores and restaurants. Soon the Linhardts had moved to Wardsville and Sarah planned for the dream salon she had wanted to own.

The building which now houses the salon sits on what was once a cattle field. As construction began, the builder consulted with Sarah and built it with the needs of the salon in mind. The rented space in this building would be the home of Magnify Salon.

The name for her salon was born from something her pastor said: “You cannot choose the things that come into your life, but you can choose the things you magnify.” Magnify represents Sarah’s faith, and her passion for inspiring clients to find and feel their inner beauty. “I love having the ability to make people feel beautiful,” says Sarah, “which is something that everyone deserves.”

Sarah had a particular vision for her new salon—one consistent with her own values. In as many cases as possible, she would use salon products that wouldn’t harm customers or the environment. She successfully researched and sought out several product lines that aligned with this vision.

By early 2020, the Linhardts had saved enough to make an offer for buying the building from its owner. They worked with their lender, Hawthorn Bank to secure financing for the purchase. When Sarah told a customer, Mindy Murray of RMI, about her plan. Mindy explained to Sarah that as a female entrepreneur, she might qualify for additional funds from the RMI Direct Loan Program. “It was easy peasy, and the interest rate was great,” says Sarah.

Financing for the project was completed, and Sarah received the Direct Loan from RMI. The RMI funds provided working capital and covered some employee training costs.

For the Linhardts, another benefit of building ownership is rental income. Of the building’s 6,600 sq. ft. total, Magnify Salon occupies only 1,600 sq. ft. The remaining space is divided between two other businesses and also four storage units.

Magnify Salon is now firmly rooted in the community. And although most of her customers live down the street or in Jefferson City, a smaller group drives from as far away as Owensville and Sedalia.

“They just love our salon,” says Sarah. “And they love the vibe.”

Tim Robinson and Chris Brosh were avid outdoorsmen who grew up in the beautiful northwest Arkansas town of Bentonville.

Following graduation from college in 2006, both had decided to return to live and eventually start families in their home town. As fate would have it, when they returned, they found an effort underway to transform an area of town into a series of biking trails to be used by local off-road cyclists. Tim and Chris were quickly onboard and committed to helping bring the trails project to fruition.

As the completed trails became increasingly used by a growing number of cycling enthusiasts, bikes naturally broke and needed repairs or replacement parts. Since retrieving parts meant traveling some distance to nearby towns, a business idea presented itself to Tim and Chris. Why not start their own bike shop—right here in Bentonville?

They rented the first floor of what had once been an office supply store in the historic downtown district and in 2007, Phat Tire Bike Shop was born. What started out as a sales and repair business, soon grew into the local hangout for anyone who enjoyed mountain biking.

The number of trails grew, and so did the demand for bike rentals. Phat Tire began renting out a number of extra bikes, and soon rentals became a booming part of the business.

As the inventory of rental bikes increased, Tim and Chris were faced with a need for more space. They located a vacant, 3,150 sq. ft. building about one block from their store and closer to the trailhead. Next, they had a discussion with their banker at Arvest Bank, James Brookhart, about how to make the expansion happen. He recommended the 504 loan and put them in touch with RMI. Arvest Bank and RMI collaborated on putting together the loan package.

“They made the loan process seamless, so we could continue doing what we do,” says Chris. “And the fixed low interest rate made a huge difference.”

Bentonville is currently the self-proclaimed “Mountain Biking Capital of the World,” and Phat Tire Bike Shop has become central to the city’s mountain biking community.

Together, Tim Robinson and Chris Brosh turned a hobby into a successful business and increased the popularity of the sport in the Bentonville area. But the two lifelong friends have yet to stop pedaling—they’ve now opened Phat Tire Bike Shops in 11 communities throughout northwest Arkansas and northeast Oklahoma.

If success is defined as doing what you love in a place you love, then Nicole Fisher, owner of Fisher Law, is a success.

Nicole started her Kansas City firm in 2015—with only a dream and $300 in her bank account. Her guiding philosophy was simple but powerful: work hard and care very much. The intervening years have demonstrated the value of that philosophy. Just ask Fisher, her employees, or the family law clients she serves.

In 2018, Fisher Law was leasing a space much too small for their six employees. Nicole knew she had to make a change. She knew she wanted more space, but also knew she didn’t want to relocate to an office tower somewhere in the city. Fisher Law was not that kind of practice.

“For our clients, we wanted a place where they could park out front, then walk right in the front door,” says Fisher.

She began a conversation about the company’s space dilemma with her bankers at Enterprise Bank & Trust, and about whether she should build or buy. Loan officer Jason Carter-Solomon looked over Nicole’s financials, and was encouraged by what he saw. He suggested that the 504 loan might be the vehicle needed to make her goal a reality.

“The low fixed rate and the terms of the loan were just too good to pass up,” says Nicole.

She began the search for a new home for her mid-sized practice, and soon located an existing structure only two blocks away from the previous location. It was the ideal size for her growing practice, with enough room to take on two other law practice tenants.

The loan project with RMI and Enterprise Bank was completed in November of 2018. And Nicole has added five employees to the Fisher Law team since the move to the new building.

Despite all other circumstances, 2020 has been a great year for the firm and all signs point toward continued success.

“It’s been a crazy couple of years,” says Nicole. “We’ll take a deep breath and keep on doing what we’re doing.”

Between 1930 and 1934, Harry Truman occasionally took refuge at the then-new, elegant Pickwick Hotel in downtown Kansas City. Time took its toll but a recent $65 million historic renovation saw the hotel reborn as East 9 at Pickwick Plaza, a luxury apartment complex.

Behind the glitz and glamour is the sound structure of Dahmer Contracting Group, whose work on the project included metal stud framing, drywall hanging, and drywall finishing. DCG’s many projects also include schools, hospitals, churches, commercial buildings and data centers.

Construction management runs in the family. Dusty Dahmer worked for his father’s drywall business growing up. As he and his wife Teresa grew the business, they knew they needed more space and wanted to buy. They found a 10,000 square foot building and approached their banker, Cindy James at Hawthorn Bank in Lee’s Summit. James had worked with RMI on SBA loans in the past and connected the Dahmer’s with RMI’s Mindy Murray.

The 504 financing allowed the Dahmer’s to achieve their goal of owning their own building. The larger building has allowed them to hire more salaried staff, secure more projects and profits have increased. Best of all says Teresa, owning the building and knowing the loan terms are fixed means they can focus on the future.

College towns and craft beer go together like football games and tailgating. So when Aaron Banks decided to turn his love of craft beer into a business, he opened Missouri’s first filling station for beer growlers in Columbia, home of the Mizzou Tigers. For the uninitiated, a beer growler is an 32- or 64-ounce air-tight jug that allows you to take draft beer with you.

CoMO Growlers & Pints looks like a brewery taproom with exposed ceilings, wood plank walls, and concrete floors. “Patrons can sample any beer on tap, sit at a table in the taproom and drink a pint, and get a growler to go,” says Banks. Before Banks opened CoMO Growlers & Pints in 2016, the only place to refill growlers was at breweries or select restaurants. So Banks lobbied the state for three years to see retail growler fills legalized.

Of course, Banks also needed start-up capital for the fixtures, equipment, and inventory. After talking with several banks about financing with collateral loans, his wife Stacy suggested RMI. She was familiar with RMI though her own work and knew RMI helped facilitate small business financing. Banks shared his dream with Zola Finch and Mindy Murray at RMI. “They understood right away what I wanted to do,” he says. “Mindy was great to work with and gave me some great advice.”

Now patrons relax in the tasting room while they sample an ever-changing selection of craft brews or share a round with friends—exactly the kind of place Banks dreamed of. With more people than ever discovering craft beers and the convenience of growlers, Banks looks forward to growing his business and answering the call to “fill ’er up!”

Fruitland Hardware is the kind of old-fashioned hardware store where you can go when you need a whatchamacallit or a thingamajig. You can have a key made, repair a screen door, or even rent a U-Haul trailer. Owner Steve Holland says, “When someone walks through the door, I know they’ve either run out of something or they need help because something’s broken.”

Holland grew up in Jackson, a stone’s throw from Cape Giradeau and the Mississippi River. After serving 30 years in the military and living all over the world, he retired and moved back to the area in 2013. He spent a lot of time at the local hardware store as he helped his parents work on their nearby home.

So when the opportunity to buy the store came up, Holland called Janet Varner at Southern Bank. She told him about the benefits of the IRP loan available through RMI. The 15-year loan with its fixed-rate interest provided stability and since the loan required no down payment, Holland could use his personal savings for improvements and operational expenses. And Holland found the process “surprisingly simple” as he worked with Varner as well as Mindy Murry at RMI.

Financing in hand, he was able to buy the 2,500 square foot building as well as the inventory. His customers can now keep coming to their local hardware store instead of driving 12 miles to the nearest big box store. “They can come in, find what they need, and be home within thirty minutes,” he says.

Holland plans a 700 square foot expansion and is working out the details of hiring a part-time handyman. “I feel like I’m a part of helping Fruitland grow into a true community instead of just a town,” he says.