{"id":30014,"date":"2018-01-11T15:57:06","date_gmt":"2018-01-11T20:57:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/biznews.fiu.edu\/?p=30014"},"modified":"2018-05-29T07:38:28","modified_gmt":"2018-05-29T11:38:28","slug":"medical-equipment-solutions-gets-financial-boost-to-grow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biznews.fiu.edu\/2018\/01\/medical-equipment-solutions-gets-financial-boost-to-grow\/","title":{"rendered":"Medical Equipment Solutions gets financial boost to grow"},"content":{"rendered":"

When her company won a $2 million contract from the federal government, Maria Sandra Pineda, the president and CEO of Medical Equipment Solutions Corp., was joyous.<\/p>\n

The cheering stopped, however, when she realized she needed to get financing \u2013 quickly \u2013 to buy the medical machines and supplies needed.<\/p>\n

\"Maria
Maria Sandra Pineda<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe were at a deadlock,\u201d she explained. \u201cWe had never really approached the market for the financing we needed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Almost as if on cue, she had accepted an invitation to a Small Business Administration (SBA) Emerging Leaders event where she met guest speakers from the Florida SBDC at FIU<\/a>, the small business development center at Florida International University\u2019s College of Business, which provides no-cost consulting to entrepreneurs and small-business owners.<\/p>\n

She decided to get the confidential guidance provided by the SBDC experts, who assisted and introduced her to the Miami Bayside Foundation, which provides loans to qualifying small businesses in the City of Miami. Soon Pineda had the loan she needed to fulfill the delivery of the contract.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe process was amazing,\u201d she said. \u201cIf I had gone with conventional banking, it may have taken six months. We signed the contract on our loan in one month.\u201d<\/p>\n

Medical Equipment Solutions has been in existence for 18 years, which is considered a longevity in the business world. For 16 of those years, Pineda said, they rented and sold medical equipment, while also helping patients and insurance companies.<\/p>\n

Then she was introduced to the various certifications offered through the 8(a) Business Development Program, like the Woman Owned Small Business. Her world of opportunities got larger \u2013 a lot larger. The family-run company became federally certified.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat allowed for us to compete and go after sole source contracts,\u201d Pineda said. \u201cOur company is now 60 percent government contracting.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said Medical Equipment Solutions has expanded into other capabilities — warehousing, exporting and logistics. The company also has obtained international contracts.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never imagined that I would be doing what I am doing now,\u201d Pineda said. \u201cIt\u2019s fascinating, and I\u2019m so excited.\u201d<\/p>\n