ZZ Diesel's new shop open in Kokomo, with SBA 504 loan from First Farmers Bank & Trust and Indiana Statewide CDC

After nine years in its original location, ZZ Diesel has opened a larger building in Kokomo that combines the company's garage, workshop, warehouse and online sales personnel under one roof for the first time. ZZ Diesel is now located at 1836 West State Road 18. Owner Jacob Zody used a loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration 504 pro-gram to buy real estate and construct his new building. First Farmers Bank & Trust and Indiana Statewide Certified Development Corporation provided the SBA 504 loan to ZZ Diesel. Zody says, "The SBA 504 loan helped us move quickly from planning our new building to actually beginning construction. We always promise our customers great service. Our new building is allowing us to install and keep up with the latest technology; and that helps us keep our promise to our customers." Zody says he will likely add to his 12-person staff in several months . ZZ Diesel's new building is about a half-mile northeast of its original location. Zody is the son of a second-generation Miami County farmer. Jacob earned a degree from Nashville (Tennessee) Auto Diesel College. He was eager to start his business, so he founded ZZ Diesel while enrolled as a student at Purdue. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Business Management. Working on his father's farm and ten years in 4-H sparked his interest in engine repair. Indiana Statewide CDC works with local Indiana lenders to issue SBA 504 loans to help owners of expanding or startup small businesses buy real estate, buildings and equipment. SBA 504 loans can give small business owners long-term, fixed-rate financing similar to commercial loan terms available for large companies. Alec Downing of First Farmers Bank & Trust says, "ZZ Diesel is an excellent example of the type of business we love to work with. They are well managed and they have a well-structured plan in place to grow to meet the needs of their customers. They employ skilled personnel that are very committed to their profession." Zody says the name ZZ Diesel recalls his dad's farm, ZZ Farms. He says he likes the sound of the name…and his father originally designed the logo back in high school with inspiration from ZZ Top. Background: IIndiana Statewide CDC has approved over $760 million of financing for more than 1,600 Indiana companies since 1983, creating or saving more than 30,000 jobs, and is the most prolific CDC in Indiana. These projects represent more than $1.9 billion in expansion financing for Indiana businesses. Executive Director Jean Wojtowicz says, "SBA 504 loans help small businesses grow because borrowing companies can put as little as 10 percent down and receive a low, fixed interest rate for as long as 25 years. The SBA guarantees bonds sold privately to finance a portion of the loan. With the guarantee, we can offer more favorable loan rates than generally available to small businesses." First Farmers Bank & Trust (www.ffbt.com) serves over 60,000 clients throughout Indiana and Illinois from 34 offices and is one of the premier community banks in the Midwest. With more than 400 employees and over $2 Billion in assets, the bank has come a long way from its origins in 1885. First Farmers is committed to remaining an independent institution. The bank knows it must be free to meet ever-changing customer needs while staying true to its roots--providing state of the art banking with old-fashioned service. ZZ Diesel (www.zzdiesel.com) expertly rebuilds and repairs diesel engines for trucks. The company also sells parts to customers nation-wide through its online sales operation.