Miner's Collision Center relocates and expands with assistance from Huntington Bank and Indiana Statewide CDC

Miner's Collision Center has opened its new auto body repair shop in New Whiteland after 55 years on the east side of Indianapolis. Owner Beryle Miner says, "We outgrew our old facility. Our new location (at 1097 N. U.S. 31, New Whiteland) allows us to install new equipment to provide more services to our customers." Huntington National Bank and the Indiana Statewide Certified Development Corporation provided a small business expansion loan to Miner's Collision Center from the U.S. Small Business Administration 504 loan program. Eleven employees work at Miner's Collision Center including Beryle and his son, Heath. Beryle's father started the business in 1957 and Beryle bought Miner's Collision Center from his father in 1975. Included in Miner's equipment are a system for spray painting cars with either new waterborne paints or solvent-based paints and a frame rack with a laser guide to ensure that repairs meet or exceed manufacturers' specifications. Indiana Statewide CDC is the leading SBA 504 lender in Indiana. It works with local lenders to provide SBA 504 loans to owners of expanding companies. Congress created the SBA 504 program so owners of small businesses could get long-term, fixed rate financing with lower down payments that is similar to financing available for large companies. Since 1986, SBA 504 loans have funded more than $130 billion to 110,000 small businesses. In turn, those small firms have created or retained 2.5 million jobs for the U.S. economy. Executive Director Jean Wojtowicz says that the Indiana Statewide CDC and partner lenders have invested more than $1.2 billion in 1,100 Indiana companies since 1983, creating or saving 26,500 jobs. Miner says, "I thank Huntington, the SBA 504 program and Indiana Statewide CDC in making this all possible for us here at Miner's Collision. I see a bright future for Miner's and all involved." Derek Phillips of Huntington Bank says, "This loan was to buy and improve a building that was about ten years old. This location helps Miner's Collision Center increase their capacity to do more business with their insurance companies and gives them an excellent visual presence along U.S. 31."