Category: News

While brewing company Gordon Biersch has had a presence in San Jose for 30 years, it now looks like they will be able to stay in the same location for decades to come. Gordon Biersch Real Estate Holdings just purchased the 3.1-acre property with a 110,000 s.f. building where the brewing company’s primary operations and restaurant are currently located at 357 E. Taylor Street. Capital Access Group provided $4.8 million in funding for the $11.8 million deal.

Dan Gordon, the principal executive of the brewery company, told the Mercury News, “It’s a thrill for me to complete this purchase. We saw how real estate is getting more expensive in the South Bay. This ensures our longevity in San Jose.”

Gordon Biersch Night Market, an event launched in 2017 featuring street cuisine, musicians, makers, and breweries, will be resuming this month and is expected to run Thursday nights through August. After a temporary pause due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the return of the series of events is expected to bring crowds to the brewery and its adjacent parking lot.

Owning their own building means increased stability for the brewing company, and a long-term future in San Jose. “We wanted to control our own destiny. We wanted to be here forever,” Gordon said.

The San Francisco Business Times released its annual list of the largest SBA lenders in the Bay Area in fiscal year 2017. Capital Access Group finished the year as the 4th largest lender in the region, with 30 loans for a total of $34.77 million in SBA funds. The Silicon Valley Business Journal also released its annual list of the largest SBA lenders, and Capital Access Group was ranked the 4th largest lender in that region as well, with 19 loans for a total of $26.14 million in SBA funds. We are pleased to provide support to businesses in the San Francisco and Silicon Valley areas and throughout the State, to allow them to secure financing to own their own real estate, which creates jobs and strengthens the community.

Victor Khedr, Owner of Five Points Tire Imports, recently secured $2.5 million to purchase two buildings at 2103 El Camino Real and 10 Manzanita Street, Redwood City, CA.

According to Khedr, “Owning property is the way to go because it’s something that will appreciate in value. I’m not throwing money away on rent anymore. This building is my retirement.”

Previously, Khedr was the owner of Ben’s Auto Tech, but when he began having difficulty with his landlord, he decided to explore opportunities to relocate or buy a new business. In 2016, he discovered that Five Points was for sale. He purchased the business, and merged it with Ben’s Auto Tech. After a successful first year, Khedr decided to exercise his option to purchase the buildings and take full ownership of Five Points. He approached his tax consultant, who told him about the SBA 504 program, and Khedr was introduced to CapitalAccess Group. Click here to read the full press release about Five Points Tire Imports.

Capital Access Group (www.capitalaccess.com), a San Francisco-based commercial real estate lender specializing in U.S. Small Business Administration 504 loans for growing businesses, recently helped Ken and Kelli Dunaj to secure $2 million in total project financing to take full ownership of Building Supply Center, an existing Ace Hardware store in Point Reyes, California. The Dunajs purchased the business from the previous owners in 2015. The SBA 504 loan from Capital Access enabled them to purchase the structure, a 10,700 sq. ft. building located at 11280 State Route 1, Point Reyes Station, California. The store is situated in beautiful Point Reyes, California and has been a pillar of the community for over 51 years.

Building Supply Center provides building and household supplies, lumber, and gift items to residents and vacationers in the area. Many homes in the Pt. Reyes area were built during the 1960s and 70s, and are increasingly undergoing remodeling projects. This trend is accelerating the store’s growth.

“We’re really just beginning to tap the market, offering lumber and building supplies and whatever else people need for their homes,” said Ken Dunaj, Owner and Manager of Building Supply Center. “There’s so much remodeling going on out here, and it will accelerate in the years to come.”

Unlike its larger competitors, the local hardware store prides itself on providing great customer service and building strong relationships in the community.

“It’s hard to compete with a Lowe’s or a Home Depot, so I try to win on service, convenience, connection to the community, and connection to people,” said Dunaj.

Dunaj spent ten years working as the Chief Operating Officer at Restoration Hardware before deciding to leave the corporate world to turn his dream of owning his own business into a reality.

“My wife, Kelli, and I dreamt of owning this hardware store, and I worked hard hoping that I could someday fulfill that dream. It finally happened,” said Dunaj.

Capital Access Group and the 504 program helped to make the dream a reality with a “calm and comfortable” financing experience, according to Dunaj.

“With traditional financing, you almost feel like you’re being judged,” said Dunaj. “The experience with Capital Access was completely different. They want you to get the financing. Claudia (Cohen) and the team helped bring our vision to life.”

And because SBA 504 loans allow borrowers to make low down payments with low, long-term monthly payments, Dunaj can focus on expanding the business.

“We’ve grown 25 percent at a 2-year rate, and we estimate a 25 to 30 percent growth over the next 2 to 3 years,” said Dunaj.

“We were excited to help the Dunaj family realize their dream through the SBA 504 loan process,” said Claudia Cohen, SVP, Capital Access Group. “Their purchase of the building ensures continued contribution to the local economy while also preserving Point Reyes Station’s local community charm.”

Capital Access Group (www.capitalaccess.com), a San Francisco-based commercial real estate lender specializing in U.S. Small Business Administration 504 loans for growing businesses, provided $3,340,000 in SBA 504 financing to Calitho, a certified Women’s Business Enterprise led by President and CEO Mardjan Taheripour and her husband, Bahman Taheripour. The 504 funds were used to purchase a 40,000 sq. ft. parcel of vacant land and to construct a 19,000 sq. ft. light industrial building at 2351 Stanwell Drive, Concord, California.

Concord, California-based Calitho provides a state-of-the-art, comprehensive printing solution for a range of clients, including Oracle, Whole Foods, HP, Levi’s, Chevron, AT&T, and many more. The company has been consistently recognized and awarded by the industry for superior quality printing. The new facility, built with SBA 504 funds, completes a “campus-style” operation that includes four buildings within a two-block radius.

“The printing industry has changed, and we have responded by diversifying and getting into different formats,” said Bahman Taheripour, Vice President, Calitho. “Today, we produce just about everything, including banners, car graphics, exhibits, wallpaper, brochures, business cards, and more. We have become an end-to-end solution for any multichannel marketing campaign.”

This was the second 504 loan from Capital Access Group for Calitho. In 2006, the Taheripours purchased and renovated their original building with 504 funds, and they became huge fans of the program.

“The main thing is that we have a low down payment,” said Taheripour. “When you’re in business, you need access to capital. I would rather have access to money so we can expand our business rather than tie it into the real estate as a down payment.”

“At Capital Access, we believe building ownership changes the trajectory of a small business,” said Jacklyn Jordan, President and CEO, Capital Access Group. “The program’s low down payment, fixed-rate, long-term financing allows companies like Calitho to preserve cash and to focus on growing the business, which creates jobs and strengthens the community. Calitho has already added 20 employees as a result of the new building and expects to add an additional 25-30 employees in the next year.”

“The 504 program is a perfect fit,” said Taheripour. “We love it because it has allowed us to create equity in our buildings; and, because we own the buildings, we’re not worried about the lease running out. We can make any leasehold improvements we need. I’m very pleased that we have an opportunity to leverage this program.”

“It was my pleasure to work with such knowledgeable, successful principals for a second loan,” said Jordan. “We are proud to support their continued growth.”

“When we were ready to build the new facility, we just called Capital Access and they took care of everything,” said Taheripour. “It’s so easy, it’s unbelievable. I tell my friends who are small business owners leasing space that the best thing to do is get a 504 loan and buy their building. It makes a whole lot more sense for a small business to own the building.”

Capital Access Group (www.capitalaccess.com), a commercial real estate lender specializing in U.S. Small Business Administration 504 loans for growing businesses, recently provided Maggie Clancy, the owner of Strides Riding Academy, LLC, (http://www.stridesridingacademy.com), with $2,540,000 in financing to purchase a 20-acre, full-service equestrian facility located at 100 Lynch Road, Petaluma, California. The SBA 504 loan enabled Clancy to purchase the property and to add a boarding facility to generate additional revenue for the business, and to serve the needs of the local horse riding community.

Strides Riding Academy was founded by Maggie Clancy, whose approach to horse training is based on helping students build and enjoy relationships with their horses through trust and mutual respect. The business provides full-service riding and training programs for beginner students riding lesson-horses through advanced students competing on the national competition circuit. Strides’ services include year-round lessons, camps, clinics, and boarding services.

Prior to moving to the new facility, Clancy operated her business out of a leased space in Penngrove, California. Initially, she wasn’t ready to purchase the property at 100 Lynch Road, so she leased the property with the intent purchase.

“Cara (Rudy) from Capital Access was awesome,” said Maggie Clancy, Owner, Strides Riding Academy. “Initially, I reached out to her to find out what I needed to do to buy the property. Cara would check in regularly. She really stuck with it. I think most lenders would drop you if you didn’t have the numbers right away, but Cara was just amazing.”

Owning the property has made a big difference for Clancy and her business.

“For the business itself, ownership allows us to make the structural changes needed to improve the property,” said Clancy. “It also gives clients confidence bringing their horses here for boarding services, because they know we own the property and that we’re going to be here for the long-term.”

Since purchasing the property, Clancy and her team have made significant improvements, including putting in new footing in the four riding arenas, building new turnouts, knocking down old fencing, redoing the entry, and “painting everything,” according to Clancy.

Clancy says that she couldn’t have made the leap to ownership without the SBA 504 program and the service she received from Capital Access Group.

“The biggest advantage to the 504 loan was definitely the low down payment,” said Clancy. “The other advantage was being able to show that my business would support the purchase. Capital Access Group looked at my business plan, and their analysis went way beyond the numbers. This purchase would not have been possible with a conventional real estate loan.”

“We were so pleased to help Maggie purchase this property to grow her business,” said Cara Rudy, Vice President, Capital Access Group. “Maggie has an amazing record of success for someone so young — I believe she’s the youngest borrower I’ve ever worked. We look forward to hearing more great things about Maggie and Strides Riding Academy.”

Capital Access Group, a San Francisco-based commercial real estate lender specializing in U.S. Small Business Administration 504 loans for growing businesses, recently helped Prime Mechanical Service, Inc., purchase an 8,401 sq. ft. warehouse space located at 296 Wright Brothers Avenue in Livermore, CA. Owned by John and Sandra Eshelman, Prime Mechanical Service is a premier provider of leading edge HVAC systems and maintenance services. This is the second facility purchased by Prime Mechanical with support from Capital Access Group and the SBA 504 loan program.

In 2013, Capital Access helped Prime Mechanical purchase its first building, a warehouse space at 264 Wright Brothers Avenue, just down the street from the new location. As the business grew, the owners recognized that they would need a larger space, so they reached out to Capital Access again.

“Capital Access helped me determine what I could afford, and from there, I was able to figure out which properties I could make an offer on. That way I wasn’t spinning my wheels,” said John Eshelman, Owner, Prime Mechanical Service, Inc.

The new warehouse is larger, and it includes second-floor office space and a “full-blown sheet metal shop,” according to Eshelman. Prime Mechanical purchased the facility and absorbed the existing sheet metal business, including 10 workers. The company now employs 30 people and expects to hire an additional 10 in the next two years.

“The sheet metal shop adds to our services, and it enables us to manufacture our own duct work and accessories, bypassing the middleman and enabling us to bid on bigger jobs and take on more work with shorter downtimes,” said Eshelman.

Prime Mechanical took advantage of the IRS 1031 “like-kind” exchange, which allows tax-free swaps of one asset for another.

“Capital Access helped with 1031 exchange, too,” said Eshelman. “They were able to work with that and allow me to take the gain from the sale and transfer it over tax-free to purchase the new building.”

“We were so pleased when John reached out to us and impressed with how much the business has grown,” said Cara Rudy, Vice President, Capital Access Group. “John and his team clearly recognize the value of the SBA 504’s low down payment and low, long-term, fixed interest rate. We enjoyed helping them through the entire purchase process, including pre-approval, financing, and the 1031 exchange.”

“I just can’t express how grateful and impressed I am with Cara and her team at Capital Access,” said Eshelman. “Obviously, the 10% down payment was very appealing to me. The low down payment allowed me to free up cash flow to put toward the development of the business. The whole process was seamless and flawless. It went very smoothly, and I couldn’t be happier.”

Capital Access Group (www.capitalaccess.com), a commercial real estate lender specializing in U.S. Small Business Administration 504 loans for growing businesses, recently helped entrepreneurs Gianmatteo Costanza and Andrew Swerdlow to secure project financing to purchase and rehabilitate a disused 8,950-square-foot building at 3359 26th Street, San Francisco, California, in the heart of the City’s Mission district. The building, a former industrial laundry, was the inspiration for Costanza and Swerdlow’s business, The Laundry, a flexible art space for people “who are concerned with creating and changing the world in the widest sense,” according to Costanza.

“We saw this industrial laundry that had been built by French immigrants in the 1930s as an opportunity to form a special place for creators to build and share their work,” said Gianmatteo Costanza, Co-owner, The Laundry. “We wanted to maintain the heritage and unique architecture of the original building, but we also wanted to invest in remodeling the building to bring it up to code, make it fully ADA accessible and support our future business needs.”

The Laundry features a café with a local coffee roaster and an art gallery that is reserved for community members during the day and doubles as an event venue in the evening for workshops, lectures, immersive theatre, and events that combine technology and art.

“We knew we needed a special lender who would allow us to develop a different kind of business model — one with many working pieces,” said Costanza. “It required imagination from the lender, so we were very happy that Capital Access was open to listening to our out-of-the-box approach.”

“The SBA 504 loan was the perfect solution for Gianmatteo and Andrew,” said Cara Rudy, Vice President, Capital Access Group. “The 504 program’s low, 10 percent down payment allowed them to preserve working capital to invest in growing the business. The long-term, fixed interest rate gives them the reassurance they need to plan for the future.”

“The SBA 504 loan is a long-term financial deal that allows entrepreneurs to plan and grow with confidence and not be subjected to the whims of the market,” said Costanza. “We own the space and control it fully, and now we are hiring people and becoming a good employer.”

“I have only praise for Capital Access Group,” said Costanza. “They are really good partners. Our business plan anticipated having all of these disparate elements coming together, and we would not have been able to implement the full vision without this kind of backing.”