Saint Florian Leather Company EagleRidge Industries
“The guidance I received focused me on preparation for business planning. At some point you have to know where you’re going. You can have a great idea, but you’ve got to be prepared to support that idea with something. That’s what the business plan does. And that’s what the SBDC did for us, give us focus.”
Daniel Solis – CEO
Saint Florian is a family-owned online business that does authentic custom leather projects and repairs. Their focus includes a dedication to first responders and a commitment to family. Daniel, his wife, Trish, son, Lucas, and daughters, Emily and Jessi make up the entire team. They have several heavy-duty machines and do repair work on items no other local company is interested in handling, such as baseball gloves.
Daniel was inspired to start the business after he retired as a captain from his 35-year career as a professional firefighter in Kern County. Time at the fire station included a lot of repair work. Daniel used the sewing machine at the station to do uniform alterations, belt work, and leather work.
That repair work turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
“I decided I might be interested in doing leather and repair work when I retired,” notes Daniel. “My wife and I sat down to talk about it on my daughter’s birthday in 2017, and we decided to start the St. Florian Leather Company EagleRidge Industries. We chose St. Florian because he’s the patron saint of firemen.”
When he reached out to the Small Business Development Center, Daniel knew he needed a business plan but had no idea where or how to start. Business advisor, Jim Keeler helped him with planning and creating a business plan. He also did a review of licenses needed prior to opening the business.
“The guidance I received focused me on preparation for business planning. At some point you have to know where you’re going,” adds Daniel. “You can have a great idea, but you’ve got to be prepared to support that idea with something. And that’s what the SBDC did. They gave us focus.”