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Carolina Management Team (CMT)
Waynesville & Cary, NC
www.cmtcoatings.com | related video
Carolina Management Team (CMT) is a full-service, onsite protective coating contractor that applies high-performance industrial coatings in water and wastewater treatment facilities, and manufacturing environments. Wendy Banks, majority owner of the business, leans on her partner and brother, David Van Zee.
Wendy and David had previously worked with the SBTDC and its Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) when they were working for another start-up company. They were aware of the services available and understood that it would be confidential and free of charge – both important to a start-up. When CMT opened in 2003, they knew there was a lot of work ahead of them. Wendy called the SBTDC and worked closely with business counselor Annice Brown and PTAC counselor Mark Mills.
Wendy and Annice first reviewed the business vision for CMT, then helped them develop a realistic business plan. Next, Annice gave Wendy useful resources including marketing tools and financial information regarding banking and payroll support. She also advised Wendy to participate in an SBTDC strategic management retreat where they were able to analyze the opportunities and threats for their business and create action lists. The retreat was so successful that CMT has participated in two retreats and are planning another for 2007.
When CMT was ready to venture into government
contracting, Annice referred Wendy back to Mark Mills.
Mark first provided practical guidance on how to do
business with federal, state, and local governments. He
assisted Wendy with the identification of NAICS codes
and Central Contractor Registration (CCR), which are
necessary when bidding for government contracts.
Mark also provided registration guidance with Woman Business Enterprise, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, and Historically Underutilized Business through the State of North Carolina. This assistance has assisted CMT to build an impressive client list including the City of Burlington, Town of Cary, Konica- Minolta USA, City of Raleigh, Silver-Line Plastics in Asheville, Water and Waste Systems Construction, and the City of Winston-Salem.
“Mark has always made time to meet with me, and I always walk away better for having spent time with him. I hear his words in my head all the time: 'Target your market, don't use a shotgun approach.' Those words have kept us focused on municipal water and wastewater facilities and our goal of becoming the painting contractor of choice for plant superintendents in North Carolina,” says Wendy.
CMT is doing better than ever. From 2003 to 2006, sales
have grown from $200,000 to $750,000, and they are on
track to break the $1,000,000 threshold in 2007. With
offices in Waynesville and Cary, CMT has eleven employees including two new project managers and
an assistant for Wendy. In order to strengthen their
workforce, Annice steered them to a Workforce
Development Grant from the state which allocates
money for training that will lead to increased
revenues. The grant allowed David and two other
employees to become certified industrial coatings
inspectors. There are only 2,400 such inspectors in
the country.
“The NC PTAC and SBTDC team have become my sounding boards and mentors as opportunities and challenges arise. They challenge us to dream bigger. I don’t know where CMT would be without the support of the SBTDC.”
Story originally featured in the SBTDC's 2006 Annual Report.
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