CLINTWOOD, VA – APRIL 12, 2023 – From the installation of new seamless gutter and gutter guards to gutter repairs and cleanout, Sykes Seamless Gutter LLC, offers a variety of gutter solutions to homeowners and business owners alike. Affordable products and quality workmanship are what David and Julie Sykes, who opened the business at 132 Market Street in Clintwood, Va., said are the hallmarks of their business.
Sykes Seamless Gutter LLC was a recent recipient of a $10,000 Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA) Seed Capital Matching Grant.
“VCEDA’s seed capital matching grant program is designed to provide support for entrepreneurs as they develop and grow their businesses, thereby creating jobs,” said Jonathan Belcher, VCEDA executive director/general counsel. “Sykes Seamless Gutter LLC manufactures custom-made gutters on the spot, serving the specific needs of their customers. Within the first six months, they employed two people full-time and one part-time. Looking to the future, they have told us they hope to add one additional full-time and one additional part-time employee.”
“We have been blessed with good business since the start,” said David Sykes. “We offer free estimates and in addition to gutter repair and clean-out, fascia and soffit installs and repair are also part of the services we offer.”
David learned carpentry skills at a young age working for a family-owned business and after completing his GED, went to work in the coal industry and then later with a water company. During the COVID pandemic, he was laid off when that company changed its business structure making his job obsolete. He then began putting his carpentry skills to use working on several jobs until he shadowed another local gutter installer for about a year, leaning the ins and outs of the gutter business. After that, he and Julie opened their own business and are now booking jobs several months out.
They use a KWM Iron Man machine to produce both five-inch and six-inch K style gutters to custom lengths needed for a particular job. In addition to jobs for customers who call for their services, Sykes also works with three different contractors in the region to fulfill their customer gutter needs.
“With the VCEDA grant, we hope to expand our business and to increase our inventory of aluminum,” Sykes said.
“It will help us to grow tremendously and to meet our future goals which includes expanding to offer not only guttering, but also siding for homes and businesses,” Julie Sykes added.
The Sykes’ worked with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Southwest Virginia Community College (SWCC) in developing their application to VCEDA and received a letter of support from the Dickenson County Industrial Development Authority.
“The Dickenson County Industrial Development Authority (IDA) is proud to support small businesses, such as Sykes Seamless Gutter, within our community by collaborating with the SBDC and VCEDA,” said Dana Cronkhite, Dickenson County IDA executive director. “We recognize the importance of skilled business owners who work to provide a service locally to our citizens and are eager for the continued growth and success of Sykes Seamless Gutter. The partnership with VCEDA and the SBDC provides entrepreneurs an opportunity to take a solid business plan and turn that into a profitable business by providing seed capital and educational support.”
“The SBDC at Southwest Virginia Community College congratulates Sykes Seamless Gutter on receiving a VCEDA Seed Capital Matching Fund grant,” said Margie Douglass, SBDC program manager at SWCC. “Our staff was happy to provide the technical support in developing their VCEDA application along with support documentation such as a business plan and financial projections. Sykes Seamless Gutter provides a great service to our area and the VCEDA Seed Capital Matching fund grant will help them grow.”
Sykes Seamless Gutter LLC may be reached by calling 276-455-0682 and may also be found on Facebook.
About Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority and Southwest Virginia’s e-Region: The Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority, created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1988 to enhance and diversify the region’s economy and help create jobs, markets Southwest Virginia’s e-Region and its focus on electronic information technology, energy, education, emerging technologies, and entrepreneurship. VCEDA is a unique economic development organization that manages funds for economic development projects from a percentage of the coal and natural gas severance taxes paid by coal and natural gas companies that operate in the region. Located in southwestern Virginia, the region includes Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, and Wise counties and the City of Norton. www.vceda.us or www.e-Region.org.
About the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority Seed Capital Matching Grant Fund: VCEDA region for-profit businesses, within qualifying business categories, one year and under with less than 10 full-time employees are eligible to apply for dollar-for-dollar matching grants up to $10,000 from the VCEDA Seed Capital Matching Fund. Applicants work with the Small Business Development Centers at Mountain Empire and Southwest Virginia community colleges to prepare the applications to VCEDA that include detailed business and financial plans. Businesses must be located in or plan to operate in the VCEDA region in southwestern Virginia that includes Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, and Wise counties and the City of Norton.