U.S. Small Business Administration Eastern Pennsylvania Director Antonio (Tony) Leta officially introduced Pennsylvania’s Small Business Person of the Year, Joseph G. Zidik, President and CEO of Custom Milling & Consulting, Inc., 1246 Maidencreek Road, Fleetwood, May 27.
“Joe Zidik exemplifies the best our small businesses have to offer. His leadership, dedication to innovation, commitment to employees, and top-notch customer service make Joe an exceptional choice for Eastern Pennsylvania’s Small Business Person of the Year. Berks County is grateful for Joe’s service to his community, and we all congratulate him on his achievement,” Rep. Ryan Costello said.
“It’s wonderful to have the privilege to recognize the achievements of Pennsylvania small business leaders like Joe,” said Antonio (Tony) Leta, U.S. SBA Eastern Pennsylvania Director. “Small businesses like CMC are where the rubber meets the road, helping drive our nation’s economic recovery. SBA and our resource partners, like Kutztown University Small Business Development Center, are proud to play a role in helping them start and succeed.”
When the owner of the milling-equipment manufacturing company Joe Zidik and Carl Yerger were working for decided to sell the company, Zidik and Yerger decided to start their own company: Custom Milling and Consulting, Inc., or CMC. Established in 2002 to provide chemical material processing equipment, as well as custom material processing and toll processing services, CMC helps its customers make the leaps from laboratory development to small production and on to full scale manufacturing.
In March 2014, tragedy struck when CMC lost founding partner Carl Yerger, who was murdered while on a fishing trip in the Bahamas. Following what has been described as a terrible incident of senseless violence, Zidik, while dealing with the loss of his best friend and business partner, continued to be the consummate leader and businessman. Leading CMC to even greater success, Zidik’s dedication to his employees has cemented a foundation for further growth. CMC began with only two employees and now has 37 full time employees and expects to add an additional 2 to 3 this year with the addition of its Carl D. Yerger Logistics Center. Throughout its years of operation, CMC has never reduced its work force due to lack of work and has seen continued growth.
“CMC is good example of a niche company that never strays too far from its core competencies. For most of our customers we offer the complete package,” Zidik said. “We use our customer service laboratory and formulation team to help our customers develop new product lines, tweak existing products, and solve processing issues. We can manufacture sample batches, or even provide small to mid-size production, which helps our customers test their markets before making much larger investments. Our equipment and parts customers benefit from the fact that we use the equipment we manufacture in our custom processing and mulch divisions. We basically have a huge R&D facility right on site, and deal with our customers as not only a vendor but fellow manufacturer. What I am most proud of is the terrific management team that Carl and I built over the years. Without their constant vision and dedication, CMC wouldn’t even exist.”
“We were able to start CMC with the help of an SBA-backed loan from our local bank. For that we will always be grateful. But no monetary value could be assigned to the mentoring we have received over the years from Marty Brill and the great folks of the Kutztown University SBDC. An old boss once told me, when you go into business you need a good banker, accountant, and a lawyer. Marty Brill is like having all three wrapped up in one sensible, caring package. I don’t know how many small companies he works with, but if he gives them half the attention he gives CMC, he deserves a big raise,” Zidik said
Since 2003, CMC has been utilizing SBA resource partner, Kutztown University SBDC, working with Martin Brill for assistance with international trade, marketing government contracting, finance and environmental issues. SBA resource partners, like Kutztown University SBDC, offer entrepreneurs free and low cost technical assistance and business advice. SCORE, SBDCs and Women’s Business Centers can help small businesses with everything from drafting business plans to complex management principles. In fiscal year 2014 SBA’s counseling partners assisted more than 1 million businesses in FY ’14 in the Eastern Pennsylvania District Office.
“I was honored to nominate Joe Zidik, President and CEO of Custom Milling & Consulting, Inc. (CMC) of Fleetwood, PA for SBA’s Small Business Person of the Year Award for 2015. I am thrilled that Joe is the winner of this prestigious award for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Kutztown University SBDC has a long and trusting relationship with CMC, based on the quality of their leadership, innovation, customer service, unquestioned integrity and impressive sales results in an unstable economy,” Brill said. “Perhaps the character of a small business can best be measured by its resiliency, both the management and employees, as it responds to financial challenges, natural disasters and competition from larger companies. Under Joe Zidik’s leadership, CMC has emerged from the devastating death of President Carl Yerger to long-term sustainability, continued outstanding customer service and innovation in product design, both in the US and in overseas markets. They are great partners!”
Kutztown University SBDC’s mission is to grow the economy of South Eastern and South Central Pennsylvania. The Kutztown University SBDC is one of 18 Small Business Development Centers in the Pennsylvania SBDC Network and is an accredited affiliate of the national network of Small Business Development Centers. The SBDC provides consulting services and educational programs to entrepreneurs looking to start or grow their small business. SBDC consultants may work with entrepreneurs in confidential, one-to-one sessions to help them with a range of business issues including testing a new business proposition, shaping a business plan, investigating funding opportunities, and much more.
SBA mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator, Natalia Olson-Urtecho, and SBA Eastern Pennsylvania Director Antonio (Tony) Leta, present the 2015 Small Business Week at the annual “SBA Day at the Ballpark” event June 18. The event is open to the media.
The awards ceremony begins at 10 a.m. June 18 with a luncheon at the “XFINITY Live! Philadelphia” restaurant at 1100 Pattison Ave. (tickets available: www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/832621) followed by a 1:05 p.m. Phillies game at nearby Citizens Bank Park (tickets available: www.phillies.com/sbaday). The event is cosponsored Constant Contact and the U.S. Small Business Administration.
SBA’s Pennsylvania Small Business Person of the Year award winner is selected annually from among nominees located across Pennsylvania’s eastern 40 counties and competes with the Pittsburgh District Small Business Person Of The Year to be named Pennsylvania Small Business Person Of The Year. These events are local observances of the annual Presidentially-designated National Small Business Week. National Small Business Week recognizes the small business community’s contribution to the American economy.
