Kings Service Solutions
Yanet Herrero speaks about her experience with FSBDC at UCF’s Advisory Board Council
Certified Slings & Supply, Supplying the World
Certified Slings & Supply has a strong tradition of innovation and service led by the Worswick family since 1978. The company’s current leadership is made up of dedicated second and third generation family members with a combined 67 years of experience in the rigging, overhead lifting, load securement, and contractor supplies industry. Certified Slings and Supply is headquartered in Casselberry, Florida, employs 95 full-time staff members and operates independent Rigging and Contractor Supply divisions located throughout Florida: West Palm Beach, Miami, Tampa, Ft. Myers, and Ocala. The core business of each branch is the distribution, sale and manufacture of a variety of marine, mining, industrial and general contractor supplies.
Juan Lopez, the International Sales Director for Certified Slings & Supply approached the Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (SBDC at UCF) with a goal of growing the company by increasing export sales. He had previously attended the Export 101: An Introduction to Exporting workshop in 2011 and heard about the Export Marketing Plan Services, a new program awarded through the State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) grant by the U.S. Small Business Administration. It is offered in partnership with Enterprise Florida, Inc., and the U.S. Commercial Service to assist new-to-export manufacturers in developing their international growth strategy. SBDC at UCF’s International Trade Specialist met with Mr. Lopez and Certified Slings’ upper management in order to gather information and understand the company’s short- and long-term international trade goals. A customized export marketing plan was crafted for the company that included industry and customer analyses along with recommended target markets, overseas trade opportunities and an action plan.
In addition to the plan, the company received a $1,500 scholarship to be used towards a trade mission, trade show or standalone Gold Key Matching Service to connect the company with potential buyers overseas. Certified Slings & Supply will continue expanding in Central and South America and the Caribbean, and recently traveled to Trinidad and Tobago with the Export Sales Mission. As a result of this, the company expects an increase of $120,000 in export sales over the next 24 months. The SBDC at UCF will continue to work closely with Certified Slings to assist in implementing the recommendations from the plan.
“If your company is thinking about exporting products or services abroad, the first thing you should do is meet with a member of the SBDC. No matter how large or small your company is, a UCF International Trade Specialist will be able to lay out a customized export marketing program personally designed for your company. It will be filled with data, statistics and facts targeting any region your company wishes to do business with. This is the best investment any company could make if looking for help with an international marketing program.” -Juan Jose Lopez, International Sales Director, Certified Slings and Supply
Kings Service Solutions
In late 2009 Arnaldo and Yanet Herrero of Kings Service Solutions first approached the Small Business Development Center at UCF (SBDC at UCF) Advisory Board Council Program Manager Jill Kaufman about their interest in becoming a client of the program. Arnaldo had explained, “We want to begin taking the proper steps to become your next success story.”
It took them just three years to achieve this milestone. In that time their janitorial and commercial maintenance company has made a dramatic transformation and experienced extraordinary growth. According to Yanet, “I felt the SBDC at UCF was the right organization to pair up with to set our company’s vision on the right course. I wanted to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the company and have access to experts’ knowledge and ideas to develop our organization.”
In 2010, Kings Service Solutions (KSS) was accepted into the SBDC at UCF’s Advisory Board Council (ABC) program and an advisory board was formed to address the company’s needs. Experts in human resources, accounting, strategic marketing, business development and law comprised their board. “We had the best of the best on our advisory board team,” remarked Yanet.
Kings Service Solutions acted immediately on what they had learned. The board helped them put in place an organizational structure, systems and processes to better manage the company and facilitate their growth. “We learned how to make the organization’s mission and vision come alive and become part of the company culture,” explained Yanet. Among the biggest benefits coming out of the board’s recommendations included improved financial management, HR policies, quality control and risk management. “I started with an idea for what my business could be and by the end of the term in the ABC program it was so much more than I expected,” said Yanet. “The Advisory Board Council program gave me the tools to attain what I wanted for our company.”
Beginning with the simple idea of providing high quality and reliable commercial cleaning and facility maintenance services, KSS has grown to serve industry leading companies throughout the state of Florida such as Trustco Bank, Florida’s Blood Centers, and Lamm and Company Partners. KSS has instituted innovative business processes and the latest janitorial management software to increase their organization’s efficiency and quality control. In fact, KSS was recently chosen to be featured by MSNBC in a television segment on how technology is helping small companies.
When KSS became a client of the Advisory Board Council in early 2010, the firm had a staff of 6 full time and 37 part time employees and leased a 1,700 sq. ft. office. Just three years later KSS has grown to be a company of 87 full time and 162 part time employees. Annual revenue jumped 270% from 2010 to 2012 and the company now owns its 3,500 sq. ft. office and warehouse suite. Importantly, Arnaldo and Yanet also strongly believe in giving back to the community and KSS is a devoted supporter of a number of worthy organizations such as Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Florida.
On the strength of its founders’ determination and the external assistance they were savvy enough to bring in, including from SBDC at UCF’s Advisory Board Council program, Kings Service Solutions is now that “next success story” that they wanted to be. “I would recommend the Advisory Board Council to any entrepreneur that is ready to realize their vision,” remarked Yanet. “The process will transform your business culture and inevitably your business success.”
Florida SBDC Network
The Florida SBDC at the University of Central Florida is a member of the Florida SBDC Network, a statewide partnership program nationally accredited by the Association of America’s SBDCs and funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Department of Defense, State of Florida and other private and public partners, with the University of West Florida serving as the network’s headquarters. Full funding disclosureavailable at www.floridasbdc.org/ funding-disclosures/. Florida SBDC services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for limited English proficient individuals.
