U.S. Small Business Administration
Effective May 1, 2026 for ITL manufacturersThe programs, in SBA’s own words and terms
Four SBA products matter for Ameridura Manufacturing Company: the 90% Made in America / International Trade Loan, the 504 plant loan, MARC revolving credit for manufacturers, and the 7(a) Working Capital Pilot as a later production / order line after 12 months of operations. They are not interchangeable. WCP is not this $5 million ask.
“America needs more housing, and manufactured housing is part of the solution. We are removing unnecessary barriers, encouraging innovation, and helping American manufacturers deliver more affordable housing options for American families.”
“Layers of unnecessary regulatory barriers, slow permitting processes, and onerous mandates at all levels of government have delayed construction, restricted development, and driven up the costs of new housing. These constraints have made housing less affordable for many Americans. It is the policy of my Administration to reduce regulatory barriers to building homes and to steward taxpayer dollars in a manner that promotes housing affordability.”
“Section 301 expands the federal definition of manufactured housing to include factory-built units that are not built on a permanent chassis, and directs HUD to write construction and safety standards for that class.”
“The HUD Secretary shall review FHA construction financing programs to identify barriers to modular home methods, including construction draw schedules, and initiate rulemaking on an alternative draw schedule for construction financing loans provided to modular and manufactured home developers.”
Eligibility that sits under every 7(a) / 504
Form 1919 makes the applicant certify compliance with 13 CFR §§ 120.100, 120.110, 121.301 and related rules, including 51% U.S. citizen or LPR ownership and control.
Louisiana — not an SBA product
LED FastStart®
FastStart is Louisiana’s workforce program for this manufacturer — recruit, screen, train. Discretionary. Application before commencement. Operating, not a $5 million cash source.
LED FastStart creates customized employee recruiting, screening, and training for eligible new or expanding companies, at no cost if the Secretary awards it. Recruit. Train. Sustain. It is a service, not a check.
Manufacturing. A net of at least 15 new, permanent manufacturing jobs. The 50-job service door (digital media, headquarters, R&D, inbound call center) is not this plant. FY2027 books 46 people on the projection tables — a one-shift commissioning year. That is above the 15-job manufacturing floor. It is not a promise LED has accepted, and it is not the $400,000 launch-payroll bucket, which is a lean stand-up team.
SBA does not score FastStart. A lender likes a state that will help staff a plant. The 1919 still needs a CMO, a PE, and a production system. FastStart, if awarded, is Louisiana operating infrastructure — the same category as Act 765 licensing and the New Orleans East site. It is not a substitute for the note, the equity, or Appendix B.
LED FastStartOSHA — not an SBA product
OSHA Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP)
SHARP is the plant safety path — OSHA On-Site Consultation at commissioning, recognition after a year of qualifying rates. Hardware stays in the uses.
SHARP is OSHA’s recognition program for small employers who request a comprehensive On-Site Consultation visit, involve employees, correct every identified hazard, run a safety and health program that meets OSHA’s Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines, and keep Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred (DART) and Total Recordable Case (TRC) rates below the national average for the industry. Louisiana Workforce Commission runs the free, confidential 21(d) consultation. Consultation is not enforcement. It does not issue citations or penalties.
This plant. FY2027 books 46 people. The five-year tables top out at 140. That is inside the 250-onsite / 500-corporate SHARP size door. Paparazzi crews, Realtors, dealers, and set contractors are not this site’s headcount. FY2027’s 46 manufacturing seats clear the small-employer size door and do not come close to the 250-onsite ceiling. Do not invent headcount, and do not count Paparazzi or set crews, to ‘qualify.’ Size is not the hard part. A year of operations and the rates are.
The OSHA hire is the EHS / Safety Coordinator — commissioning, one of 46 seats, 38 of them FastStart manufacturing-floor jobs if LED awards it. Not a Chief Safety Officer.
Louisiana Workforce Commission — OSHA / Safety Consultation (21(d)). (800) 201-2495 or (225) 342-8441.
SBA does not score SHARP. A lender likes a plant that will call consultation before someone gets hurt. The 1919 still needs the booked safety kit, workers’ compensation, and a CMO who will run the floor. SHARP, if awarded later, is OSHA operating infrastructure — the same category as Act 765 licensing and the New Orleans East site. It is not a substitute for the note, the equity, or Appendix B.
OSHA SHARP FAQ