When Ruben Contreras started Action Painting and Carpet Care in Appleton in 2006, he struggled to come up with $500 to buy a pressure washer.
That memory led to his recent investment in another start up business with a similar origin story.
Like many business startups, Contreras found it hard to come up with capital from traditional sources like a bank loan and even some personal acquaintances were reluctant to risk investing in his dream. While he knew painting, Contreras says he was less prepared to answer questions about a business plan.
Since that launch, however, Contreras has steadily grown his business both geographically and in the services he provides.
In addition to interior and exterior painting for residential and commercial buildings, Action provides carpet cleaning and maintenance and, more recently, has added spray foam insulation and concrete repair.
It was expansion into concrete repair that led Contreras to a training program at HMI in Manitowoc in November where he had an unlikely encounter with Patience Ndzana of Boise, Idaho.
“I saw myself 20 years ago,” Contreras says. “I saw his passion, that amazed me.”
Ndzana calls their encounter a “miracle.” An immigrant from Cameroon, Ndzana had worked for a concrete raising and repair business in Boise, Idaho for seven years, but wanted to strike out on his own. He drove to Manitowoc for the HMI seminar during a seasonal layoff to learn more about the equipment and materials HMI provides.
“That was my dream, to have my own business,” Ndzana said.
Contreras found out that Ndzana had played soccer internationally and spoke five languages including Spanish. Contreras tested his prowess and the two were soon conversing in Spanish. When the two parted from the seminar, Contreras wished him luck.
“I told him I come from another country, I’m from Mexico. I was in your shoes before,” Contreras says. “If you put in all your heart, you’re going to make this company happen. I’m telling you because I did it and if I did it, you can do it.”
Ndzana soon realized his experience was not enough to help him get over the initial investment in the equipment needed to launch his own business. Contreras reached out a short time later to ask how it was going and Ndzana admitted prospects looked dim.
“I’ve dreamed of franchising my company,” Contreras says. “I want to be able to coach.”
He saw an opportunity to invest in Ndzana’s business and offered a five-year commitment worth $60,000 that allowed purchase of the equipment needed to produce and handle the foam. Ndzana took possession of the trailer and equipment on a trip to Wisconsin in March and is lining up work for Magic Raising Concrete Repair as warm weather arrives.
“It’s a big risk, everyone thinks I’m nuts,” Contreras says. “They didn’t talk to Patience; they didn’t know him.”
Despite the risk, Contreras thinks the pressure lies with Ndzana, who must turn the investment into a successful business. Ndzana sees it differently.
“Sometimes you have some doubt, but nothing happens if you don’t take action,” Ndzana said. Soccer taught him to persevere.
“You play to the whistle,” he said after asking Contreras in Spanish for the English phrase.
