SDS Catalog 2020 12-22-21 - Flipbook - Page 4
SafetyTest Diverse Solutions, Inc. was incorporated on March 21, 2018, in Shelby, N.C. The business began as a
result of the collaboration of four very intuitive women (Tonya Beam, Mary Beam, Jessica Hamrick and Kimberly
Spicer) who discovered that the Utility and Arbor Equipment Industry customers were in need of vendors that
would satisfy their own company’s “diverse spend” requirements.
The Utility and Arbor Equipment Industry is dominated by businesses owned by men. So, these four women
grasped the opportunity to venture into an industry that offered them the opportunity to establish a very profitable
and rapidly growing business. During 2018 and 2019, the Officers of the company began familiarizing themselves
with the products of the industry. Also, during that time, they contacted vendors that sell those products and
negotiated prices that would allow the company a profit margin. Once that process had begun, they filed for
Sales Tax IDs in the 32 States where the vendors that were chosen were located. This process allowed SafetyTest
Diverse Solutions, Inc. to obtain “Sales Tax Exemption for Resale” status in those states with those vendors.
In addition, during 2018 and 2019, the Officers began their campaign to secure customers for the business. This
was a slow and laborious task, due to the fact that they were met with the challenge of convincing the potential
customers that SafetyTest Diverse Solutions, Inc. could provide the products faster and at a lower rate than most
similar businesses owned by men. However, they began to have success and were able to secure orders from
customers in the 2020 year. WBENC Certification will allow SafetyTest Diverse Solutions, Inc. to expand sales to
companies with “diverse spend” percentage requirements. This will secure a corner of the market that will ensure
the company will not have to compete with businesses owned by men in the same industry for those diverse
spend sales.