Iron Hill awarded with SBA 100 honor

10/3/2011

Wilmington, Delaware-based Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant was recently recognized by Jayne Armstrong, director of the Small Business Administration's Delaware District Office as an SBA 100 recipient, NewsWorks reports.

Iron Hill was founded by Kevin Finn and two partners in Newark in 1996, and has since expanded to eight locations in three states, employing more than 800 workers.

The SBA 100 recognizes companies that, through SBA loans, have been able to create at least 100 jobs.

"Restaurants have a real hard time getting bank financing," said Finn, as quoted by the news source. "The SBA was really able to fill that gap for us. They provided us that capital to start and grow our business."

Governer Jack Markell echoed Finn's sentiments, adding that he thinks Iron Hill is a "great business" and that the partners showed "what is possible when … entrepreneurs figure out a way to work together."

The Newark Post adds that last year, Iron Hill sales reached more than $35 million. The company plans to open up a ninth location by the end of the year in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, with a goal of eventually reaching 20 restaurants.