Alfred Enchill, Founder and CEO of Elegant Stitches, started by selling garments at trade shows but found that his embroidered apparel gained more traction. In 1997, pivoting his sales strategy to accommodate the growing demand for embroidery, Alfred created Elegant Stitches in his basement and later brought on his son Auric to help him grow it to where it is now. With 25 years under their belt, Alfred and Auric wanted to jumpstart company growth, leading them to enroll in the BEI. The pair knew that through BEI, they would have access to the right resources, people, and financing.
In addition to being matched with a BEI Strategic Advisor, the Elegant Stitches team was coached by a BEI marketing specialist. The specialist helped the team develop a long-term marketing plan consisting of email marketing, social media campaigns, and seasonal sample products to send to corporate prospects. The marketing strategy is backed by proper software implementation to support these efforts. On the sales front, Al and Aurie’s BEI Strategic Advisor was able to help them develop sales targets and create strategies to help them hit their targets.
Elegant Stitches has properly executed their plan, and as a result, has seen nearly 100% growth in sales year over year. Additionally, the father and son duo were able to make two hires adding a full-time administrative assistant to allow them to concentrate on sales and strategy. They are also evaluating the possibility of acquiring another company.
Nectar Community Investments, with the Boston Foundation and the Local Enterprise Assistance Fund, provided a $900,000 financing package for construction and launch of a Vicente’s Supermarket branch at 452 Mount Pleasant St.
Vicente’s estimates the store has created about 30 construction jobs through 10 contractors, most owned by people of color.
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Fourth Vicente’s supermarket brings jobs, access to healthy food to South Coast community
Nectar Community Investments, in partnership with The Boston Foundation and Local Enterprise Assistance Fund (LEAF), has provided a financing package for the new Vicente’s Supermarket in New Bedford, Mass. The New Bedford store, which opened today as the company’s fourth location, mirrors the approach of its Brockton and Pawtucket, R.I., markets: located in a low- to moderate-income community adjacent to a food desert and making healthy food accessible to historically underserved neighborhoods.
“We’re proud to help provide this critical financing to Vicente’s Supermarket as the company expands into New Bedford,” said Nectar Community Investments Executive Director Glynn Lloyd. “Small businesses are the backbone of the Massachusetts economy, and Vicente’s exemplifies that definition: providing healthy food access, creating jobs and positively impacting the community. Thank you to our ecosystem partners at The Boston Foundation and LEAF as well for teaming up with us to make this financing possible.”
“In Brockton and Pawtucket, Vicente’s markets are not only meeting a critical need for food — they are central hubs in their communities,” said Orlando Watkins, Vice President and Chief Program Officer at the Boston Foundation. “The Boston Foundation has a longstanding history …
Nectar’s Executive Director Glynn Lloyd spoke to The Bay State Banner about our organization’s innovative approach and a recent award from the CDFI Fund to help fuel our work. Learn more about patient capital, the Business Equity Initiative for Diverse Developers, environmental justice efforts and more in this story.