The Goddard School, located in Lewis Center, Ohio, offers early childhood education for children ranging from six weeks old to six years old. Using the most current academically-endorsed methods, The Goddard School strives to make learning fun while teaching children the skills they need for long-term success in school and life. Their emphasis on a balanced approach to a child’s growth covers not only academics, but mental, physical and social-emotional skills. With over 500 franchised schools throughout the country, The Goddard School has become known for its high-quality, play-based learning program.
Originally starting in the Technology sector, Kyle Arbaugh has been an entrepreneur for most of his professional life. He spent 15 years in the technology industry before branching off and starting a few other companies. As he and his wife looked at other business opportunities, they decided to move forward with acquiring a Goddard School franchise. This was a perfect blend for the couple with Kyle’s business background and his wife’s background as a teacher and Dean of an elementary school.
As soon as they purchased their first school, they knew they would want to expand in the future. About a year after acquiring their first location another local owner reached out and presented the opportunity to buy his location. After evaluating the business and they decided it was a great time to expand and start the process.
Kyle was originally introduced to Brendan McMoran, our experienced Business Development Officer, when they looked at a different business opportunity in 2020. Kyle and his wife later decided to not move forward with that business opportunity, but knew that Brendan had been a great help in the early stages of the deal. So, when they had the opportunity to purchase their second Goddard School location, they knew who to reach out to.
Brendan was able to structure an SBA 7(a) loan that allowed them to reserve capital. They felt like the favorable lending options the SBA loan provided made all the difference as they took steps to acquire this business.
Kyle had this to say about partnering with Brendan McMoran and the FNB Small Business Finance team:
Brendan was very professional! Each step of the way, he was transparent and made sure we knew what was needed to keep things moving. There was a level of trust that you don’t often find in this type of business relationship and that made it much easier knowing he was on our team. We truly felt like he went to bat for us and was a partner with us throughout the entire loan process. I would absolutely recommend Brendan and the team at FNB Small Business Finance. They understand franchise lending and have a great process in place that helped things go smoothly. I am actually in the process of talking with Brendan about another opportunity right now!
We enjoyed partnering with Kyle Arbaugh on this SBA 7(a) loan! We wish him all the success in the world and look forward to partnering with him again in the future.
