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SBA Names Florida First Capital and 504 Loan Clients as Small Business Week Award Winners

Mar 2016

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) North Florida District Director Wilfredo J. Gonzalez recently announced the winners of the SBA's 2016 District and State of Florida Small Business Week Awards.

Kristen Tackett, Florida First Capital Vice President and BDO, has been named the 2016 North Florida and SBA State of Florida Small Business Financial Advocate of the Year.

Over the last 12 years, Tackett, who covers Northeast Florida and is based in Jacksonville, has put together over 500 deals resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in SBA 504 loans. Throughout her career in the Certified Development Company (CDC) 504 loan industry, and specifically over her 12 years with Florida First Capital, Tackett has been a relentless champion of support for small businesses, job creation and economic development.

Florida First Capital was also named the No. 1 SBA Lender in North Florida for 2015. The company earned the top lender spot in the North Florida District for total dollar volume in FY 2015 among all 7(a) and 504 lenders.

Out of a combined total of $502,576,500 in 504 and 7(a) financing produced in the district for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2015, Florida First Capital accounted for $43,508,000 of that amount. Among 504 Certified Development Company (CDC) lenders only, the company's performance accounted for 53% of the 504 dollar total in the district. In comparison, the six other competing CDCs in the district produced a combined total of $38,771,000.

Florida First Capital has held the top SBA lender position in the North Florida District - which covers 43 counties and stretches from Orlando to Jacksonville and west through the Florida Panhandle - for the last 12 years among a list of notable banks, credit unions, non-bank lenders and other CDCs.

Additionally, Florida First Capital is pleased to announce that two of it SBA 504 loan clients also were named as Small Business Week Award Winners.

J. Peter Wilking, President of A1A Solar Contracting, Inc., in Jacksonville, has been named the 2016 North Florida District and State of Florida Veteran-Owned Small Business Person of the Year.

A1A Solar Contracting, which provides commercial and residential solar electric (photovoltaic) design and installation services, worked with Florida First Capital to secure SBA 504 financing for the purchase of land and two adjacent warehouse condo units with build-outs for office space to relocate from leased premises.

Also, Sarah Blake, President of Elipsis Engineering & Consulting in Winter Garden, has been named the 2016 North Florida District and State of Florida Woman-Owned Small Business Person of the Year.

Elipsis Engineering & Consulting, which provides services in the fields of construction materials testing as well as project and contract management services and construction engineering inspection services, worked with Florida First Capital to secure SBA 504 financing for land and an existing two-story, 7,000 square-foot office building.

"Once a year I have the privilege of acknowledging and celebrating the accomplishments of small business owners in Florida. I would like to congratulate all of this year's Small Business Week winners. The nominations this year were very competitive, and all the winners are highly deserving of their respective awards,” stated North Florida District Director Gonzalez.

The awards will be presented at the 24th Annual Small Business Week & Lender Awards Celebration on Thursday, May 5, 2016, at the University of North Florida's University Center in Jacksonville.

For more information about SBA 504 loans in Florida,contact a Florida First Capital Loan Officeror email us atinfo@ffcfc.com. Phone: 850.681.3601 or toll-free at 888.320.5504.