What They're Saying
Carolina ColorTones
Page Campbell
General Manager
Carolina ColorTones
Arden, NC
Greetings! I hope you guys are doing as well as you can given the state of things right now. I felt the need to reach out and give you a quick update on how things are here at ColorTones.
After hitting record sales in 2019, we’re poised to do it again this year. Go figure. We’re at about a 12% net and 42% gross margin (a little off, but explainable). We’ve been in and out of the credit line and have been able to pay all bills early. We’re about 16 months from finishing our stock payments to our Dad, something I honestly never thought we would do.
The storage units have picked up, we’re close to 50% full, which generates more than enough money to pay the bills. We can now start looking at taking more income and recapitalizing which is another thing I didn’t think we’d see.
We still have our issues, late payers and broken pumps. But knowing we have both the resources and know-how to work through problems makes them easier to solve.
It may be late coming, but I want to thank you guys for what you’ve done for Guy and me. You helped show us the value of what we had, but more importantly, gave us confidence. It’s hard to run a business if you don’t know if what you’re doing is the right thing and I had no idea how much that weighed on me. It’s made life in general so much better for me and my family.
Airo Mechanical
Kris Foutch
President
Airo Mechanical
Statesville, NC
“Mark (Majewski) is nothing short of great and couldn't find enough good words to say about him. I am very thankful for what he has brought to the company. Call me for anything you might need. We loved working with Mark!”
STG Solar
Rhonda Kilpatrick
Controller
STG Solar, Inc.
Pisgah Forest, NC
“We have thoroughly enjoyed our work with Jill Jones during the past year and a half. Jill has brought a great deal of value to us and we are very grateful! Thank you!”
Universal Companies, Inc.
Karen Short
Chief Executive Officer
Universale Campanies, Inc.
Abingdon, VA
"It’s hard to believe it’s been over two and a half years since we originally met in Abingdon to discuss how Kaplan CFO Solutions might support Universal. I am so incredibly thankful for that day as it was the beginning of a productive and enjoyable journey of our two companies working together. Through our partnership and, specifically Mike Holt’s expertise and support, Universal has been able to accomplish so very much. From recruitment and onboarding of our new permanent CFO and VP of Finance to providing greater financial transparency and much-needed support for our accounting team and processes, Mike has come to be a highly respected and beloved member of our team. During his tenure with us, his accomplishments were many, including but not limited to:
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Managing our banking relationships and increasing our line of credit
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Achieving achieve financial transparency for our Asia operations
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Managing the completion of our sales tax registrations in all remaining states
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Leading our finance team to work more effectively together across the organization
While we are thrilled to have such a solid finance team in place now, Mike is already missed by all. I, in particular, miss his wit, no-nonsense style of communication, and his counsel. Mike and I quickly established a trust that helped me gain confidence in my role as CEO and for that, I am forever grateful."
United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County
Robert B McArthur
Assistant Head of School/CFO
Asheville School, Inc.
Asheville, NC
“I am dropping a quick note to thank you for the article you wrote for the Capital at Play magazine this month. I found the article easy to read and a good reminder that it is all about relationships. On a related note, I had the pleasure of working with Mark Majewski while he served as interim CFO at the UWABC (United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County). Mark provided excellent leadership during his time there and helped to get UWABC on the right track with system and process changes. His impact in such a short period of time was impressive. You have a very strong consultant on your team. As you said in your article, it is all about relationships and Mark quickly built strong relationships with the folks at UWABC.”
Green Opportunities
Joseph Hackett
Executive Director
Green Opportunities
Asheville, NC
"Kaplan CFO is an invaluable resource. As a growing agency with limited budget for financial oversight, our agency didn't know how we would tackle everything. Kaplan CFO showed up with creative strategies for assessing our needs and created a pathway to financial stability. Within the first month, we saw a return on our investment and before the year was out, we realized incredible value with a caring touch"
Asheville Pizza & Brewing
Leigh Oder
Co-Owner
Asheville Pizza & Brewing
Asheville, NC
"Kaplan CFO Solutions has made a world of difference for our company during this last year. Having Alan's expertise and guidance makes all the difference when dealing with banks and financial professionals. I would highly recommend the company's services"
CMT Coatings
David Van Zee
Carolina Management Team
High Point, NC
"Jan and the services of Kaplan CFO Solutions are an excellent addition to Carolina Management Team. Over the past months, Jan has fined tuned our financial processes and controls while creating a 5 year pro forma that has helped guide our strategic plan. She is a great leader who has helped position our company for continued growth”
Vickery Family Medicine
Dr. David “Gus” Vickery, MD
Vickery Family Medicine
Asheville, NC
"Developing a relationship with Kaplan CFO was the best decision we made in the past year. Lisa Starnes promptly identified our fiscal weaknesses and helped us build a budget that works for our business. With the help and expertise of Kaplan CFO, our business is now on a positive fiscal trajectory with a strong future clearly in sight”
Bank of Tennessee
Will Barrett
Market President
Bank of Tennessee
Johnson City, TN
"As a banker, it’s always easier for me to get a deal done when the client has a high level of financial expertise. In my experience, Kaplan CFOs are among the best and are a good fit for the Tri-Cities business community”
Parameter Generation and Control, Inc.
Clay Hile
President
Parameter Generation and Control, Inc.
Black Mountain, NC
"Since Vaughn has joined Parameter we have experienced tremendous growth and he has provided organizational leadership, financial advice, and personal guidance to me.
He originally came to us to help with some key financial issues but his role has steadily expanded where he provides guidance and takes a leadership role in all aspects of the company and has become our General Manager.
He has taken the lead in staff development and mentoring, team development and organizational restructuring that is vital to our continued growth.”
Selina Naturally
Selina Delangre
CEO
Selina Naturally
Arden, NC
"As the CEO of Selina Naturally® home of Celtic Sea Salt®, I am happy to testify that having Sarah Martin from Kaplan CFO Solutions, LLC work with my financial and administrative departments brought strategic financial communication between departments. Sarah helped get an increase in our line of credit and does a great job bringing a professional voice to strategic discussions. The support and discipline on our budget that Sarah brought to the company, has improved our bottom line.”
Van Wingerden
Kelly Cantrell
Vice President
Van Wingerden International, Inc.
Mills River, NC
"Since joining Van Wingerden as our embedded CFO in September 2014, Daryl Crouse has provided significant value to our company and management team along with creative solutions to some of our most difficult business challenges.”
Aeroflow
Casey Hite
President, CEO
Aeroflow, Inc.
Arden, NC
"As our CFO, Ken (Kaplan) has worked with our accounting team, vendors and management team and put us on course for far greater success than we could have hoped to achieve on our own." https://aeroflowinc.com
TD Bank
John Scroggs
Business Banking Relationship Manager
TD Bank Group
Asheville, NC
"Ken is one of the best at maximizing cash flow, improving operating efficiencies and negotiating with vendors that I have seen.”
FastPivot
"Ken's sage strategic business advice helped us become a more profitable and effective business! We are forever indebted to him and can give him the highest level of endorsement!”
Buckeye Bridge
Michael Long
Member Manager
Buckeye Bridge, LLC
Canton, NC
"When I became President of Taylor Murphy Construction in 1998, Daryl was already a successful CFO. He is great at seeing the overall picture and translating it into concrete goals and objectives. He is an innovative thinker who can effectively lead corporate management in the areas of finance, insurance, surety, and banking.”
Carter Accounting
Danny R. Yelton, CPA
Carter Accounting & Consulting
Asheville, NC
"As a former audit manager, I worked closely with Daryl Crouse when he was CFO at Taylor & Murphy Construction (TMC). I’ve seen many levels of audit “preparedness” and under Daryl’s leadership, TMC was one of the best. We rarely proposed an adjusting journal entry. Not only did Daryl keep the audits running smoothly, he also provided valuable training for our staff.”
Buckeye Bridge
Michael Long
Member Manager
Buckeye Bridge, LLC
Canton, NC
"When I became President of Taylor Murphy Construction in 1998, Daryl was already a successful CFO. He is great at seeing the overall picture and translating it into concrete goals and objectives. He is an innovative thinker who can effectively lead corporate management in the areas of finance, insurance, surety, and banking.”