J.I. Garcia Construction and Central Valley Ag Exports

Win  2020 SBA Small Business Awards

Fresno, CA: Fresno’s J.I. Garcia Construction has won the “2020 Procurement Business of the Year” Award, and Visalia’s Central Valley Ag Exports has won the “2020 Exporting Business of the Year” Award from the Central CA SBDC Network for their significant business achievements. They were nominated for the National Small Business Award by the Valley Community Small Business Development Center (VCSBDC) which serves Tulare, Fresno, Kings and Madera Counties, and is hosted by Clovis Community College. Due to the pandemic the traditional May SBA Small Business Week event was unable to occur, and the companies have been recognized in private ceremonies.

Founded in 1982, J.I. Garcia Construction is a General Building and General Engineering Contractor (JIGarcia.com), and specializes in commercial and institutional building construction, with an emphasis in Design Build, while operating in the private and public areas of work. With an extensive array of certifications, they serve clients not only in California, but also Oregon, Arizona, Nevada and Texas. Their diverse list of projects includes airport runway renovations, squadron operations facilities, battlefield recreations for training, apartment complex and shopping mall renovations, and new retail building.

Central Valley Ag Exports, Inc. (CVAE-Inc.com) was founded in 2005, by CEO Didier Vivies, an immigrant from the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. He established the business in the most fertile agricultural area of the San Joaquin Valley and began by going door-to-door to establish relationships with farmers who would supply him with high quality commodities at a good price and with customers whom were willing to give him an chance and start buying from him. Today, CVAE serves both domestic and international companies, offering a variety of options, from bulk deliveries direct from farmer to customer, to packaging for international and domestic locations, to private label packaging.

“We were honored to have both these companies win awards,” explains VCSBDC Director Rich Mostert. “The lead SBDC consultant on our team, Olga Martinez helped both of these businesses grow and succeed during these unprecedented times.  She is a valued member of our team of expert consultants providing a broad range of no-cost services and workshops to companies across a diverse array of industries, and our mission is to help companies grow, thrive, and succeed.”

“This yearly event recognizes the critical impact small businesses have on our local economies and celebrates the outstanding accomplishments made by each of our award recipients,” says Central CA SBDC Regional Director Kurt Clark. “Their achievements exemplify the entrepreneurial spirit that is a hallmark of the U.S.”

Since 2003, the Central CA SBDC has assisted thousands of companies, from start-ups to established firms with no-cost consulting services, workshops and assistance in sourcing funds. This has helped to create and retain over 10,000 jobs, as well as creating more the $435 million in loans and equity. The Central CA SBDC and its five dedicated satellite Centers serve 14 counties in Central California: San Luis Obispo, San Benito, Monterey, Stanislaus, Merced, Tuolumne, Mariposa, Fresno, Kings, Madera, Tulare, Kern, Mono and Inyo Counties.

For more information about the Valley Community SBDC, visit ValleyCommunitySBDC.com. To speak with Rich Mostert, call (559) 324-6413 or e-mail richard.mostert@cloviscollege.edu.