{meta_title}

504 Loan Recipient Caters to Free-Spending Brazilians

Jan 2012

Editor's Note: Portions of this story were excerpted from a recent article in the New York Times.

Flush with cash from a booming economy and enamored of luxury, Brazilians are visiting central and south Florida in droves and spending millions of dollars on real estate, clothes, jewelry, furniture, cars and art, all of which are much less expensive here than in Brazil.

As a thank-you, Florida businesses, including 504 loan recipient Pegasus Transportation, are creating innovative ways to make the Brazilians happy and to encourage them to keep dipping into their wallets.

Aware that Brazilians will not spend freely unless they feel at home, shopping malls have enticed them by hiring Portuguese-speaking sales clerks to proffer Dolce & Gabbana dresses and Hublot watches. Even Target has posted help-wanted signs in Portuguese.

In Orlando, Brazilians prefer the city's sprawling outlet malls over its theme parks and Pegasus Transportation is catering to their needs. Pegasus provides group motor coach transportation and regular shopping tours, bringing thousands of Brazilians to the malls. The Tommy Hilfiger clothing outlet and H.H. Gregg electronic store open early just for them.

It is this kind of innovative marketing that has made Pegasus Transportation a leader in the group transportation industry in Florida. And it's no wonder Fernando Pereira, founder and president of Pegasus, was named the 2011 Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) North Florida District.

Mr. Pereira, a Brazilian immigrant, started Pegasus Transportation in 1994 with a 100 square-foot office, one 15-passenger van and one driver. Today, Pegasus has 60 employees and operates a fleet of late-model European style motor coaches from offices strategically positioned in Orlando and Miami.

The impressive accomplishments of Pegasus Transportation are a story of both managing a business effectively and overcoming hardships successfully. The company's first major challenge came when the travel industry collapsed as a result of the 9/11 disaster. Pegasus nearly disappeared, but with the help of an SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) the company got back on its feet.

Shortly after, disaster impacted the company again in 2004 when a series of hurricanes struck the state of Florida. Pegasus once again sought SBA disaster assistance and through Mr. Pereira's determination, Pegasus was able to stay afloat with the receipt of two additional EIDL loans.

Finally and most recently, the domestic travel market's decline in 2009 due to the nation's weak economy took a toll on Pegasus. To overcome this ordeal, Pegasus successfully turned its focus to the international travel segment, compensating for the domestic downturn.

This change in focus resulted in over a 300% increase in the company's net income. With strong financial stability, Pegasus worked with Florida First Capital and was approved for two SBA 504 loans, enabling the company to purchase an existing 6,000 square-foot building on two acres of land and a second to construct an additional 5,400 square-feet of office and warehouse space.

Florida First Capital is honored to have worked with Mr. Pereira and Pegasus Transportation to provide SBA 504 loan program financing for its growing operations and congratulates the company on its continuing success.

For more information about SBA 504 loans in Florida, contact Florida First Capital by visiting www.ffcfc.com, emailing at info@ffcfc.com or calling 888.320.5504.