Business Spotlight: Freshwater and Son's Electric

Mark Freshwater started Freshwater and Son’s Electric almost 10 years ago, with himself and his van. Over the years, the company grew. They now have an office building, a staff of more than 40 contractors and an office staff of 10. They offer a variety of services, specializing in custom-built luxury homes, including routine maintenance of landscape lighting, generators and remodeling of homes.

As the company continued to grow, Freshwater had to re-align his office staff to meet growing business demands. He found himself in need of business guidance and support, seeking resources that would allow him to continue building his team, focusing on quality and efficiency.

“How could I better identify the leadership capabilities of current employees, allowing me to step back from the day-to-day running of the business,” Freshwater said.

That’s when he turned to the experts at the Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and first met with lead consultant Deborah Lanford, along with consultants Jacqueline Ramirez and Audra Wilson-Russell, who provided fast recovery specialized services simultaneously.

Through their assistance, Freshwater set up an organizational assessment with himself and his office staff that helped improve communication, determine his staff’s strengths and weaknesses, assign specific roles to current team members and allow Freshwater to hire the right employees. He was also able to gain the proper financial insight and access to capital that he could pass along to his team. Their fast collaboration brought the company a fresh new perspective.

Then came along the COVID-19 pandemic.

“When it came to this crisis, SBDC has provided guidance the entire time. We are very grateful for the help and support of SBDC as we navigate through this ever-changing time,” Freshwater said. “With the added anxiety, the uncertainty and the emotional exhaustion, it has been a godsend to have SBDC with us to help navigate the disaster recovery loan process and as well as updates from the CDC on best business practices. Having the SBDC on our side has been the one solid to rest on.”

Freshwater said he knows if he wants his business to continue to succeed through this global pandemic, he will continue to use Florida SBDC at FAU and the fast recovery specialized services, including a new virtual marketing plan, that ensures he is reaching clients digitally.

“The sound support, direction and a team that is on top of the latest information, allows me the assurance to know I can continue our business safely during the COVID-19 challenge,” Freshwater said.