Hansonbradford llc DL258434 | Government Grant Application

Hansonbradford llc | Application Preview

1. PROJECT COVER INFORMATION

Project Title: Upper Midwest Equipment Inventory and Shipping Streamline Initiative

Applicant Organization: Hansonbradford LLC (doing business as Midwest Sales LLC)

Project Director / PI: Owner-Operator (Hands-on Sales and Service Lead)

Contact Information: Not provided

Amount Requested: Not provided

Project Period: Not provided

2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY / ABSTRACT (1/2-1 page)

Problem / Need: Hansonbradford LLC is experiencing rapid sales growth for premium, USA-made Hunter Engineering equipment in the Upper Midwest. Demand is rising faster than the current inventory and fulfillment process can reliably support, creating risk of longer lead times, delayed installations, and missed sales opportunities. In equipment distribution, the ability to place timely stock orders and execute efficient shipping and delivery is a key determinant of customer satisfaction and repeat business, especially for repair shops and fleet operators who depend on uptime.

Target Population / Sector: The project primarily benefits automotive service and tire shops, collision repair businesses, and related service providers across the Upper Midwest. Indirectly, it supports local and regional drivers and businesses by helping ensure safer, more reliable vehicle service through access to high-quality alignment and service equipment.

Proposed Solution: Grant funding will be used to (1) place a strategic stock order of Hunter Engineering equipment to meet forecasted demand and (2) streamline the shipping and fulfillment process so customers receive equipment faster and with fewer administrative and logistics bottlenecks. The approach is designed to protect growth momentum while strengthening “buy local, sell local” outcomes by expanding sales of American-made manufacturing and improving customer service capacity.

Key Activities: - Place a stock equipment order aligned to current sales velocity and projected near-term growth. - Improve the order-to-delivery workflow (shipping coordination, scheduling, staging, and documentation) to reduce turnaround times. - Strengthen customer service responsiveness through tighter logistics planning and more predictable inventory availability.

Expected Outcomes: - Shorter customer lead times from purchase to delivery/installation, reducing downtime for service shops. - Increased sales capacity and improved customer satisfaction, supporting continued growth beyond last year’s $1.7 million in total sales and positioning the company to sustain its current trajectory toward doubling revenue.

Funding Request & Duration: Amount and time period not provided, but the request is intended for near-term inventory procurement and operational improvements that can be implemented quickly to keep pace with demand.

3. STATEMENT OF NEED / PROBLEM STATEMENT

Problem Description: The business is already on pace to double last year’s $1.7 million in total sales. That level of growth typically strains inventory availability and logistics. When distributors cannot stock the right equipment at the right time, customers face delays that can cause them to postpone purchases, choose alternative vendors, or continue operating with outdated equipment. In a service industry environment, delays are not a minor inconvenience: shops schedule installs around their workload, and missed delivery windows can translate into lost labor hours and reduced throughput.

Who Is Affected: The immediate impact is felt by automotive repair and tire service shops across the Upper Midwest that need dependable equipment procurement and delivery. The broader impact includes local employment supported by these shops and the regional economy tied to automotive service and transportation.

Current Gaps: The main gap is a mismatch between sales demand and operational throughput. Without additional inventory on hand and a streamlined shipping process, the business risks avoidable delays, added handling costs, and customer dissatisfaction. This is especially important because the company competes against larger brands and suppliers where buyers may be tempted by availability alone, even if product quality and service are inferior.

Consequences if Unaddressed: If inventory and shipping operations do not scale with demand, the company may lose sales despite strong market interest, and customers may experience longer downtime waiting for equipment delivery and installation. Over time, delays can weaken customer loyalty, slow regional adoption of higher-quality equipment, and reduce the local economic benefit of selling USA-made products through a local service-focused distributor.

4. PROJECT GOALS & OBJECTIVES

Overall Goal: Increase regional access to premium, USA-made Hunter Engineering equipment while improving fulfillment speed and customer experience for automotive service businesses in the Upper Midwest.

Specific Objectives (SMART): Objective 1: Within the project period, increase on-hand availability of core Hunter Engineering equipment models by placing a stock order sized to meet forecasted demand tied to the company’s current growth trajectory.

Objective 2: Within the project period, reduce fulfillment cycle time by improving the shipping process (order staging, carrier coordination, documentation, and delivery scheduling), resulting in more predictable delivery timelines for customers.

Objective 3: Within the project period, improve customer satisfaction and retention by ensuring faster response and resolution during the shipping and delivery phase, reinforcing the company’s service-based competitive advantage.

5. PROJECT DESCRIPTION / PROGRAM NARRATIVE

Project Overview: This project is a targeted operational scale-up initiative designed to support rapid growth in sales of Hunter Engineering equipment. Funding will be deployed in two connected ways: inventory procurement (placing a stock order) and process improvement (streamlining shipping). Together, these actions reduce lead times and strengthen reliability, which is critical in equipment distribution where customers plan installations, service bay usage, and shop workflow around equipment arrival.

Approach / Strategy: The strategy is straightforward and practical: maintain the sales momentum already underway by ensuring inventory is available and by removing preventable friction from the shipping process. Because the owner-operator is described as 100 percent hands-on and dedicates all available time to customers, these improvements are expected to translate quickly into measurable benefits, including faster deliveries and a better end-to-end customer experience.

Key Activities: - Identify high-demand equipment categories and place a stock order to meet near-term regional needs. - Standardize and streamline shipping procedures to reduce delays and errors. - Coordinate delivery scheduling and customer communications more tightly so shops can plan installs with confidence.

Innovation / Best Practices Used: The project reflects recognized best practices in distribution and light manufacturing supply chains: carry sufficient stock of high-velocity items, reduce order-to-ship cycle time through standardized workflows, and improve customer communications during fulfillment to prevent missed delivery windows and re-shipments.

Alignment with Grant Priorities: The application aligns strongly with common grant priorities focused on domestic manufacturing, local economic development, small business growth, and supply chain resilience. The company sells USA-made equipment manufactured in Missouri and Mississippi and emphasizes “buy local, sell local” outcomes by distributing and supporting those products in the Upper Midwest.

7. TARGET POPULATION / BENEFICIARIES

Who Will Be Served: Automotive repair shops, tire shops, and service businesses in the Upper Midwest that purchase, install, and rely on professional-grade service equipment.

Recruitment / Access Method: Customers are reached through existing sales activity and direct customer relationships built by the hands-on owner-operator model, with a regional focus on the Upper Midwest.

9. ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY

Relevant Experience: The business has established traction and demonstrated revenue performance, with $1.7 million in total sales last year and current performance indicating it is on pace to double that figure. This shows market demand, a functioning sales engine, and the operational foundation needed to deploy grant-supported inventory and logistics improvements effectively.

Systems & Infrastructure: Operational capacity is anchored by a hands-on owner who dedicates extensive time to customer service. The grant-funded improvements are intended to strengthen the operational backbone (inventory and shipping) so the service model remains dependable at higher volume.

Competitive Positioning: The company sells Hunter Engineering equipment, a premium USA-made product with manufacturing located in Missouri and Mississippi. Competitors cited include Coats, Corghi, and Beeline, characterized in the application as foreign-made and providing weaker customer service. The company’s differentiators are domestic sourcing/manufacturing, product quality, and an unusually hands-on service approach focused specifically on the Upper Midwest.

12. BUDGET SUMMARY

Budget summary: Grant funds will be used for (1) a stock order of Hunter Engineering equipment and (2) costs associated with streamlining the shipping and fulfillment process. Specific dollar amounts were not provided.

13. BUDGET JUSTIFICATION (NARRATIVE)

Equipment: The stock order is necessary to keep pace with fast-growing demand and to prevent lost sales caused by long lead times or limited availability. Maintaining inventory is particularly important in equipment sales where customers often need firm delivery commitments for installation scheduling and shop operations. Stocking USA-made Hunter equipment also increases the share of customer spending tied to domestic manufacturing supply chains (Missouri and Mississippi production), reinforcing local and national economic benefits.

Operations (Shipping Process Streamlining): Streamlining shipping is necessary to reduce fulfillment delays and improve the customer experience. This may include improved coordination with freight providers, better staging and documentation practices, and more consistent delivery scheduling and customer communications. These activities reduce rework, prevent missed deliveries, and support higher throughput without sacrificing the hands-on customer service model that differentiates the business.

14. SUSTAINABILITY PLAN

Post-Grant Funding Strategy: The improvements are designed to pay for themselves through continued sales growth and stronger customer retention. With the business already on pace to double last year’s $1.7 million in sales, the incremental margin generated by faster inventory turnover and fewer shipping issues can be reinvested into ongoing inventory replenishment and operational refinement.

Revenue or Cost Recovery: Increased inventory availability supports additional sales, while improved shipping processes reduce avoidable costs (expedited freight, re-shipments, delays, and administrative rework). Together, these changes improve cash flow predictability and make it easier to sustain the upgraded operating model without ongoing grant support.

Institutional Adoption: Once implemented, the streamlined shipping workflow becomes part of standard operations, ensuring the benefits persist beyond the grant period.

15. RISK MANAGEMENT

Key Risks: The primary risks are demand volatility, supply chain lead times, and the operational complexity that comes with rapid growth. There is also the general risk that scaling inventory too slowly can cause lost sales, while scaling too aggressively can tie up working capital.

Mitigation Strategies: The project mitigates these risks by aligning the stock order to demonstrated sales momentum and by improving shipping execution so inventory turns faster and delivery performance improves. The hands-on operating model also reduces customer service risk during fulfillment because issues can be addressed quickly, preserving customer confidence and repeat business.

• General Information

  Business Registration Number: DL258434

  Location: Sioux falls, SD, United States

  Length of Operation: 1-5

  Number of Employees: 1-10 Employees

  Annual Gross Income: $250k to $500k

  Annual Gross Expense: $100k to $250k

  Open to Loans: YES

• Funding Usage

  Place stock order for equipment, streamline shipping process.

• Business Plan

  Already in pace to double last year's $1.7 million in total sales. Stock order would help the process. Midwest sales llc, selling a USA made premium product. Buy local, sell local.

• Self Identified Competition

  I sell Hunter Engineering equipment. Competitors include coats, corghi, beeline. All Competitors are foreign made, and give no customer service. Hunter is American made in Missouri and Mississippi. I am 100% hands on, and dedicate all my available time to my customers. American made, and I am focused on upper Midwest.

• Contact Applicant

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