The customer base is the Valley itself
Fresno is the economic hub of the San Joaquin Valley, and the area around it is predominantly tied to large-scale agricultural production. California agriculture produced nearly $59.4 billion in revenue in 2023 and the state grows more than 400 commodity crops. Every one of those crops needs water delivered at the right time, so irrigation work is rarely optional.
That makes a contractor's work partly urgent and partly planned. Emergency calls for pumps, motors and lines come at harvest and in the heat; planned work, such as a new system for a field, is scheduled around the growing calendar.
What gets bought before the job is paid
- Pipe, fittings, valves, filters and electrical controls for each job.
- Pumps and motors, stocked for emergency calls.
- Fuel and travel to remote sites.
- Crew wages, weekly.
- Fees for testing or permits, when the job requires them.
A contractor that stocks common parts can answer an emergency in a day, but the shelf is cash tied up in inventory. A contractor without stock loses jobs; one with too much stock carries cost without a sale.
Illustration: stocking for a hot summer
For illustration only: a contractor spends $30,000 in May to stock pumps, motors and fittings for the summer, and takes on a $55,000 field installation requiring $34,000 of materials and crew over six weeks. The grower pays half at the start and half 30 days after completion. If an emergency repair requires a $9,000 pump on the same day, the contractor needs to pay that supplier from the same balance. These figures are an example and not our terms.
Fitting funding to the job
| Need | Page |
|---|---|
| Drill rig, service truck, trailer | Equipment financing |
| Materials, stock and payroll | Working capital |
| Delivering pipe and pumps | Trucking funding |
| Serving growers directly | Farm and grower funding |
Subcontractors, testing and the second half of the job
A well or irrigation project is rarely one trade. Electrical work for pump controls, trenching for pipe runs and water testing or inspection for a new well each involve someone outside the crew, and each is paid on its own schedule. The contractor often owes the subcontractor before the grower pays the contractor.
That is why a project that looks profitable on paper can strain the operating account in its fifth week. A contractor who plans for the sub bills as well as the materials and crew has a more accurate picture of the real float. It is also useful to keep job-related spending in one business account, so the statements show the full cost of each job and the delay between payment out and payment in.
Applying
We fund from $25,000 to $5,000,000, with funding in as little as 24 hours after the file is complete. A FICO score of 500 or higher is considered, and no tax returns are required. We ask for about three months of business bank statements, and the application is about five minutes with a soft credit pull. Sole proprietors can apply, including one-rig operators working under their own name. Start here.