“Owning commercial property for Angel Connection Nursing Services was an essential move for our business, our clients, and our staff,” explains CEO Merj Chu of the homecare-services business that she built along with her husband and business partner, Joseph (Jay) Fortunato. “It demonstrates our long-term commitment to our community while enabling us to build a stable and secure financial foundation.”
Here’s how Merj and Jay realize their goal for their Long Beach, CA-based company with help from TMC Financing and the SBA 504 loan program.
Building a homecare business, one client at a time
Angel Connection provides in-home care services for seniors, as well as anyone facing challenges from chronic illness, post-surgical care requirements, and other needs after hospital or rehabilitation-facility discharges.
“I have a background in the homecare-services industry and had been a respiratory therapist for years before launching Angel Connection in 2010,” Merj explains about the company’s start 15 years ago. “We incorporated in 2011 and have been steadily growing since.”
Her interest in starting a homecare business was based on her professional experiences, as well as her cultural experiences growing up around her Filipino and Chinese family members.
“In our cultures, we place tremendous value on caring for our elders at home,” she explains. “I wanted to bring that same compassion to the homecare services needed in our communities, too.” Today, Angel Connection serves clients throughout Orange County and the greater Los Angeles area, with about 170-175 employees working in different capacities – including about 100 homecare providers.
“Although the business side of homecare services can be complex, the human side – providing much-needed care – is so fulfilling,” Merj says. “When we hear from clients and their families that we’re making a positive difference for them, that makes all of the hard work worthwhile.”
Securing property adds stability and strength
They found a new home for Angel Connection in a ground-up development – a condominium-style model for businesses, in which each company owns its space.
“Our industry is always evolving and it’s essential that we can adapt quickly while maintaining the highest levels of care and quality in everything we do,” Merj explains. “Owning our property means that now, we have the stability we need to focus on growing our business. We’ve gained greater control over our costs while also investing in a long-term asset.”
For their property, the SBA 504 loan program was the ideal financing solution. It’s a specialized program of the U.S. Small Business Administration to help small businesses purchase, build, and/or renovate commercial property to be used by the business. SBA 504 benefits include:
- A down payment of only 10% for most projects (some require 15%), which is significantly less than the 30-40% that’s required for conventional commercial mortgages. This makes property ownership viable for more small businesses.
- A fixed interest rate for the life of the loan, which can be from $50,000 to $5.5 million for the SBA 504 portion, with no maximum for the first mortgage. TMC has financed projects valued from $500,000 to $44 million.
- A 25-year term for most SBA 504 projects. This makes payments predictable and affordable while stabilizing occupancy costs for decades.
- The ability to build owner equity in a long-term capital asset while gaining tax advantages for the business.
SBA 504 loans can be used for the purchase or renovation of existing buildings, new construction, equipment purchases, and/or to improve energy efficiency.
TMC Financing’s expertise makes the SBA 504 loan process easier
Merj says that TMC Financing and the SBA 504 loan program came to them through a recommendation. Their primary contact at TMC was Dean Aloe, SVP, Business Development.
“Working with TMC was great!” Merj says. “We had the documentation ready, so that helped, and as soon as we connected with Dean, everything was easy. Dean and our TMC team kept the process moving along and they were so accommodating – and we were approved right away!”
As a result of the deal, Angel Connection’s new home increases their available space by 15% while stabilizing occupancy costs in a southern California coastal community where, otherwise, commercial rent can escalate regularly and significantly.
Dean says, “Merj and Jay knew what they wanted to achieve as well as what they needed to do to secure financing. They’re organized, efficient, and passionate about their business and their work, which always helps large deals to go well. It was a pleasure working with them and we’re excited to follow their continued success!”
TMC helps entrepreneurs finance their dream commercial properties
Angel Connection has come a long way in 15 years and Merj encourages other entrepreneurs to give property ownership a try, too, saying, “Success is available to everyone, including immigrants like me. For people who want to own a property for their business, your dream can come true if you have determination, compassion, and choose progress over perfection. And you have to keep going until you make the right connections. TMC was the right lender for us and we had a great experience, thumbs-up all around!”
If your business is located in TMC’s service area of California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, and Oregon, contact us to get started. If your business is located outside of our service area, try the SBA’s Lender Match tool to find a qualified certified development company (CDC) lending partner near you.