CONTRACTOR SUCCESS STORY I
Joshua Kitching , Co-Owner BAPE
Mara Kitching , Account Manager , BAPE
Chase Center project , she encouraged me to start my own business . It took me a year to figure out how to do that and it was a scary leap to make , but I did it .”
One of Bay Area Pipe & Equipment ’ s ( BAPE ’ s ) greatest challenges to participating in public works projects was managing cash flow . “ We had successfully bid on and been awarded a SFPUC contract to purchase pump parts on their behalf , but when we went to procure materials for the project , the supplier wanted 50 % upfront , which would have created a cash crunch for us .” At this point , Tana introduced Josh to Jennifer Elmore , Program Manager for the City & County of San Francisco Contractor Development Program ( CDP ), who connected him with their Contractor Accelerated Payment Program ( CAPP ) Manager , John Miller . “ Their team was really on top of it – they were excited to provide guidance , they helped us meet the loan program requirements and they promptly followed through every time . Even though the CAPP had originally been designed to help small contractors who were having trouble meeting labor costs , within three months , they made it possible for us to secure the short-term funding we needed for our materials .”
Mara Kitching , Josh ’ s sister-in-law and the company ’ s Account Manager adds , “ Being a new business struggling with funding , working with the CAPP really saved us , because the 50 % upfront would have had eaten up our cushion and we could not have continued running our day-to-day business without that cash flow . CAPP expedited the process of getting our trust account set up and helped expedite the final payment .”
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