Arizona Window Blinds Company Sees Light of Ownership With SBA 504 Loan

For more than a decade, Danielle Collazo has owned and operated a thriving business, Adobe Blinds and More, in Maricopa, Arizona. What started as a small business run out of her garage became a shop run out of a shared business space and eventually grew into a 1,500-sqare-foot building that included a retail showroom and warehouse.

She had big dreams, though. Among her goals? To one design a building that fit her company’s specific needs with even more retail and warehouse space required to operate her business. This dream also included owning her building and never having to negotiate with a landlord ever again.

That dream became a reality when she held the ribbon cutting last November for her newly completed 5,200 SF office/showroom condominium that included warehouse space at Maricopa Grand Professional Village, 41600 W. Smith Enke Road in Maricopa.

“No more shared or leased facilities,” Collazo said. “I have my own building and it’s big and it’s beautiful.”

Dreams Came True with SBA Financing

Collazo was able to make her dream come true with an SBA 504 loan through JP Morgan Chase Bank and CDC Small Business Finance. The SBA 504 loan program allows businesses such as Collazo to purchase commercial real estate with a blend of conventional loan terms and a government-backed bond debenture funding in second position, secured with the commercial property. Collazo began the process by purchasing a commercial pad in 2021.

With the help of an SBA 504 loan, she designed and oversaw the construction of a building that met her specific needs. Assisting her was commercial loan officer Belinda Rosthenhausler and her team at CDC Small Business Finance, a mission-driven non-profit lender that works nationally, including in Arizona, to ensure that small business owners have access to capital and opportunities they deserve.

“I’m so happy at the place I am now,” said Collazo, who has seven employees.

“There’s nothing like getting something you always wanted. There wasn’t a space to rent in this town to meet our growing needs. We sell window treatments, doors, custom closets and have display walls, things that have lots of moving parts. I wanted an open concept design. We worked with our architect to design the space to fit our business. It was a collaboration that also included our contractor. They listened to my needs and helped design the perfect space for my business to thrive and provide the community with a retail showroom to visit.”

As a business owner, Collazo handled managing the company’s daily operations while overseeing the construction project. Jason Harvey, a senior business relationship manager with Chase Business Banking advised Collazo on the SBA 504 loan program benefits and selected CDC Small Business Finance as their partner for the project. They made the process as seamless as possible.

“Small business owners are not necessarily experts in developing a commercial real estate project,” Rosthenhausler said. “Our goal was to guide her the best we could through the process. There are so many moving parts to these loans that you need to anticipate the hurdles. Our collaboration with Chase Business Banking helped her work through every hurdle.”

Building the Right Team

Now that she has experienced the SBA 504 loan program, Collazo stressed the importance of assembling the right team: a team that communicates throughout the entire construction period. From building permits and construction draws to final certificate of occupancy issued, every layer required documentation.

“This is generational wealth that is being created by a family-owned business,” Rosthenhausler said. “It’s family that will benefit, beyond pride of ownership, fulfilling a dream Danielle has realized.”

The SBA 504 loan structure continues to be in high demand, allowing up to 90 percent financing with a 25-year fixed interest rate option. Business owners want to control their budgets and lease rates continue to climb.

“I steer my own ship now,” Collazo said. “All the money I put into this building and business is on my balance sheet and I own it all.”

The many local businesses Rosthenhausler and her team have supported include physical therapy practices, dentists, providers of occupational therapy/speech therapy to elderly patients, an artificial turf installation company, a law firm, and a long-standing family auto repair shop.

The design team also consisted of general contractor Kroll Contractors Inc., and architect of record Café Design & Architecture.