Biya Buta and Carolyn Moore moved to Bismarck 14 years ago with hopes of expanding opportunities for their family and business.
Since establishing Bountiful Trucking in 2013, Buta has expanded from a solo owner-operator to a strong fleet of 11 trucks and over 20 trailers. They now serve as a key transportation partner for several regional manufacturers and distributors.
However, rapid growth posed a challenge: they needed a centralized “home base” to manage and service their businesses — Bountiful Trucking, Bountiful Logistics, and BT Truck Repair.
The Challenge: A Local Repair Bottleneck
While Bountiful Trucking and Bountiful Logistics thrived, their third branch — BT Truck Repair — faced a bottleneck. Buta, having firsthand experience with truck servicing delays, knew in Bismarck wait times could reach three weeks.
Always entrepreneurial, he recognized an opportunity to address this, but his current facilities hindered him from hiring mechanics and serving more customers.
Finding the Right Financing Package
Buta turned to Bravera Bank and Lewis & Clark Development Group to secure an SBA 504 Loan. This allowed the couple’s real estate holding company, Plainview Truck Center LLC, to lock in long-term, fixed-rate financing.
“Before we started working with Bravera Bank, we had a hard time finding lenders interested in helping our businesses grow,” says Buta.
“Bravera took the time to get to know us and connect us with Lewis and Clark Development Group. We truly felt we were partners with them throughout this process and that they wanted us to succeed.”
The Solution: A 504 Partnership and Flex PACE Buydown
LCD Group Commercial Lending Director Derrick Becker worked closely with Biya, Carolyn, and Bravera to structure a deal consolidating the land refinance and construction costs into a single, manageable funding package.
“Financing a project with three different operating companies under one roof requires creative structure.
The beauty of the SBA 504 program is that it minimizes upfront capital,” says Becker.
“By securing a low down payment and a long-term fixed rate, Biya and Carolyn can focus cash flow on hiring skilled mechanics and expanding their fleet, rather than worrying about fluctuating interest rates.”
Another boon for Bountiful was LCD Group’s use of interim financing and the Flex PACE Buydown match.
Driving Toward the Future
The new facility on Brigade Street is a game-changer. Sitting on 2.3 acres, the facility is home to the Bountiful companies and provides additional shop space, enabling BT Truck Repair to expand its services and increase its share of outside work from 10 percent to a projected 50 percent.
“We’ve been able to hire more mechanics, serve more customers, and better maintain our own fleet. It’s been a boost to all three of our businesses,” adds Carolyn Moore.
By solving its own space constraints, Bountiful is helping ease the commercial repair backlog for logistics companies across the region and providing a home that will allow them to grow their family businesses for years to come.
To learn more about the SBA 504 and all LCD Group business lending programs, contact Becker at (701) 667-7622 or derrick@lcdgroup.org.
