FLORIDA SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER AT IRSC
18
EXPERIENCED MANUFACTURING SPECIALIST
JOINS SBDC CONSULTING TEAM
TCBusiness.com
Manufacturing specialist Duane Reiff
is the newest member of an expanded
business consulting team at the Florida
Small Business Development Center at
Indian River State College. Reiff’s specialization
will be manufacturing with a
concentration on growth and resources for
trade industries within the Treasure Coast
marketplace.
Reiff is an experienced international
business leader with more than 25 years
of experience in the manufacturing and
service markets across multiple industries.
During his years in manufacturing,
he has traveled to more than 45 countries,
allowing him to experience and gain an
understanding of the complex global
marketplace.
He is familiar with the challenges and
opportunities in a sales organization and
how to reach the desired goals. As an
outsourced vice president of sales, he is a
results-oriented sales leader who is highly
collaborative and has a track record of
coaching, motivating and leading sales
teams to produce extraordinary results.
Reiff plans to meet with regional small-
to medium-sized manufacturing operations
to inform and connect them to business
assistance resources available from
the FSBDC at IRSC. He also will provide
consulting on sales, marketing, business
growth and expansion.
“I am excited to bring value to the region’s
manufacturing community through
my sales and marketing experience, all
the resources we have here at the Florida
SBDC and the various expertise of our
team,” Reiff says.
Hosted by IRSC, the Florida SBDC
provides aspiring and existing small businesses
in Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin
and Okeechobee counties with no-cost
consulting, low-cost training and access to
business data and research resources.
Last year, the center provided more than
6,070 consulting hours to more than 700
Treasure Coast businesses, resulting in
approximately $14 million in capital access
and more than $90 million in government
contracting.
“With the growth of manufacturing
along the Treasure Coast and the impact
this industry sector will have on our market
place, the Florida SBDC at IRSC believed
it was important to add a manufacturing
Duane Reiff – Florida SBDC at IRSC
Manufacturing Specialist
specialist to support and complement
our other business assistance offerings,”
regional director Tom Kindred says.
With nearly 1,000 locations across the
country, SBDCs are in every community
providing local businesses and entrepreneurs
with the resources needed to succeed.
They provide measurable economic
results — in 2020, SBDCs helped generate
91,767 jobs, $7 billion in sales growth, $6
billion in capital investments, and helped
start 20,374 new businesses.
Celebrating its 45th anniversary this
year, the Florida SBDC Network is the
state’s principal provider of small business
assistance. What once began as a one-man
operation at the University of West Florida
overseeing two centers in Northwest
Florida has grown to a vibrant statewide
partnership of more than 40 centers and
more than 250 employees.
The network provides tools, training and
expertise to thousands of Florida’s small
businesses each year. It continues to work
with small businesses to help them pivot
and adjust business strategies to navigate
the new normal.
For more information, contact the center
at fsbdc@irsc.edu or call 772.336.6285. v
BY KATIE MULDOON
LAST YEAR, THE CENTER
PROVIDED MORE THAN
6,070 CONSULTING
HOURS TO MORE THAN
700 TREASURE COAST
BUSINESSES, RESULTING
IN APPROXIMATELY $14
MILLION IN CAPITAL
ACCESS AND MORE
THAN $90 MILLION
IN GOVERNMENT
CONTRACTING.
WITH NEARLY 1,000
LOCATIONS ACROSS THE
COUNTRY, SBDCS ARE
IN EVERY COMMUNITY
PROVIDING LOCAL
BUSINESSES AND
ENTREPRENEURS WITH THE
RESOURCES NEEDED TO
SUCCEED. THEY PROVIDE
MEASURABLE ECONOMIC
RESULTS — IN 2020, SBDCS
HELPED GENERATE 91,767
JOBS, $7 BILLION IN SALES
GROWTH, $6 BILLION IN
CAPITAL INVESTMENTS,
AND HELPED START 20,374
NEW BUSINESSES.
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