Veteran-owned Aeroforce Logistics Powered by Several SBA Programs

Heather Varney’s Marine Corps career took an unexpected turn from munitions to aviation supply when she sustained a hand injury.  She later left the service as a disabled vet.  She met  Nick Weissenborn while working for an aircraft parts distribution company, and they soon connected as a team. “I respected how he always chose to do the right thing for the customer. It wasn’t about the money to him,” said Heather.  With Heather focused on the supply side, and Nick excelling in sales, they became, as she notes, “a force to be reckoned with.” They decided to start their own firm over coffee at a local Starbucks in January 2016. Their first stop after that fateful coffee was the SBA office in Milwaukee, where then-Lead EDS Mary Trimmier and Lead BOS Shane Mahaffy talked with them and then referred them to SCORE.

SCORE volunteers helped Heather and Nick develop a solid multi-year business plan and financial projections. They kept their day jobs for the first year and treated the new business as a consulting gig.  “We were working seven days a week, with lots of time away from family, but we needed to see if we could work together and still like it, and be successful,” said Heather. They dedicated the first three months to getting IT and inventory control systems operating, then they started pursuing business, using Nick’s garage as their supply center.  With sales coming their way, Nick went full-time with Aeroforce in early 2017 with Heather following three months later. 

Not long after, they found a commercial space in an Opportunity Zone in Milwaukee’s Riverwest neighborhood. “We probably looked at 30 properties before we found this one,” said Nick.  “It checked a lot of boxes; room for expansion, multiple loading docks, and a cooperative landlord, as well as reducing costs connected with running a home-based shipping setup.” When they needed funds to buy inventory, a conventional lender referred them to WWBIC, an SBA micro-and Community Advantage lender, and Women’s Business Center. The day they signed the loan papers for a $50,000 microloan, they were awarded a $120,000 federal contract.  Friends and family helped them pack the boxes to meet the contract terms.  The loan was paid back within six months.  In 2020, they continued to finance growth with an Express loan of $150,000 through Pyramax Bank, and they also received a PPP loan from Pyramax Bank.

Aeroforce’s sales have doubled every year since its startup. They now have four employees after bringing on their first full-time staff member in 2018.  In 2019, the team graduated from the SBA Emerging Leaders program.  “Emerging Leaders really taught us about working on the business, and we made changes to make that possible.” They hired staff and focused their branding, marketing, and IT security.  One of their Emerging Leaders’ classmates has become their IT service provider. Heather is now enrolled in the SBA 8(a) program. Bigger contracts have come their way. They are using a conventional line of credit to help finance inventory when needed, and they are working on their IT security, insurance, and more.  They recently brought on six temporary employees to help with a major project.  “We have relied on the SBA and partners every step of the way,” says Heather. “The advice and mentorship have helped us take this business from an idea to a success.”