A local Kansas City executive received top honors from the Small Business Administration when he was named the State of Missouri’s Small Business Person of the Year and was honored on Monday, June 23rd at a recognition ceremony at the Kansas City Power & Light Energy Center. Nilson Goes, COO of Infinite Energy Construction Inc., was presented with a recognition award by SBA District Director Roderick Cox at an event hosted by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City. Goes was also honored in Washington back in May along with other Small Business Person of the Year Winners from all 50 states, including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam.
Infinite Energy was founded in 1996 and started as a home-based business with two employees. By 2014, the company had grown to more than 40 employees under Goes’ leadership. But Goes didn’t start life as a construction executive. He comes from a poor family in Brazil that valued education and he took advantage of the opportunities that came his way. Those included earning two degrees in electrical engineering — a bachelor’s degree from the Universidade Federal do Pará (the university of the state of Pará, north of Rio) and then a master’s degree from the Escola Federal de Engenharia (Federal Engineering School) in Itajuba state, west of Rio. He had such drive that he then flew all the way to chilly Missouri to earn a PhD in electrical engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology.
“Everything I am is because of education,” he says. “I tell my kids that, too.”
Infinite Energy Construction purchased and renovated property in the growing community of Martin City in South Kansas City to accommodate their expanding business. Infinite Energy is a Section 8(a) disadvantaged business specializing in commercial electrical installations. With a number of federal projects in the region, Infinite Energy is capitalizing on Kansas City’s Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) to increase their business and employment levels.
Infinite Energy now occupies a 13,380 square foot formerly vacant building and 7.5 acres used for a lay down yard and mobile equipment storage. This project resulted in an initial investment of $1,130,000 in real and personal property.
Infinite Energy was referred to the EDC Loan Corporation by the Missouri Small Business & Technology Development Center at the University of Missouri Kansas City for assistance in securing an SBA loan to finance a building purchase and business expansion. The building lies within the 6th City Council district as well as Enhanced Enterprise Zone # 2 in South Kansas City, which qualifies the property for 50% real property tax abatement for a 10 year period. The State of Missouri also assisted the project by providing nearly $150,000 in assistance through Enhanced Enterprise Zone State Tax Credits.
Both Goes and Infinite Energy are involved with Heartland Hoops Youth Development, Harvesters of Kansas City and Habitat for Humanity. They are also the recipients of a 2013 Cornerstone Award in the Small Business category.
View photos of the reception here
Sources:
Kansas City Business Journal
Martin City Community Improvement District
MissouriBusiness.net