Hank Hiner and his family spent most of their lives working in the automotive industry. This month, they found a way to turn their passion and experience into a family business: Hiner’s Diesel and Auto LLC located in Tappahannock, VA. Hank is the owner, his son Chris is the lead mechanic, and his daughter Kristy reconciles the books and manages the office.
“The only diesel auto repair shop close by was either Fredericksburg or Richmond,” said Hank. “Each destination is close to an hour drive.” Hank is a United States Marine Corps veteran, who wants to help out his fellow veterans in the community by offering discount on services.
With the help of Joy Corprew at the UMW SBDC in Warsaw, they worked together to write a business plan and to find a 504 loan program to secure funding. The Hiners chose the Rappahannock Economic Development Corporation (REDCO) to help them purchase their building in Tappahannock.
While preparing the newly purchased property for the grand opening, residents of Tappahannock started dropping by the new business in town. “We already have business from people walking in to see what we do,” says Kristy. The Hiners are excited about their grand opening and eager to get to work.
REDCO is a non-profit commercial lender and certified through the Small Business Administration to facilitate the 504 Loan Program since 1983. They are strategically located in UMW’s Center for Economic Development and the Small Business Development Center bringing a collection of training, business intelligence and financial counseling designed to strengthen the capabilities of business owners.
The University of Mary Washington Small Business Development Center (UMW SBDC) is a resource center that provides assistance to the small business community via management training, industrial and demographic research, and confidential one-on-one consulting with two offices located in Fredericksburg and Warsaw.
Check out upcoming seminars and Workshops provided by the UMW SBDC here.
UMW Center for Economic Development
The University of Mary Washington Center for Economic Development is in the College of Business, an AACSB accredited business school. The Center for Economic Development operates the UMW Small Business Development Center, the UMW EagleWorks Business Incubation Center, the Government Contracting Assistance Center, and StartUpUMW. The Center is located at the Eagle Village Executive Offices. Learn more at https://economicdevelopment.umw.edu/.