When Jimmi-Jean Sukys started Quality Tank Solutions as a small home business in April of 2012, she had no idea the success that was in store for her. Jimmi-Jean started the company to design and manufacture stainless steel storage tanks for the medical, food production, and, most popularly, brewing industry. Jimmi-Jean’s original business plan was to handle the design and customer relations aspects of her business, then hand off her designs to a contract manufacturer to build the finished product. However, with the recent growth of the craft brewing industry, demand for Quality Tank Solutions was much higher than Jimmi-Jean expected. In 2013, less than a year after her business had opened, she decided to move the company out of her home and into its own warehouse and office facility with a SBA 504 loan. Quality Tank’s new location not only provided more space for current operations, but also is large enough for Jimmi-Jean to manufacture tanks in-house. When one of their manufacturers could no longer afford the equipment they use to manufacture Quality Tanks’ product, Jimmi-Jean saw the opportunity to utilize her new space and bring manufacturing in-house.
In July of 2013, Jimmi-Jean utilized a second SBA 504 loan provided by WBD and financing through WaterStone Bank to purchase the used equipment as well as some new equipment. This project further supported the development of a business owned and operated by a woman and enabled the creation of 10 jobs, enhancing the Oconomowoc economy.