Meet our Founders

Your Premier Resource for Small Business Expertise Loan Application Assistance Business Valuation, Buying/Selling Strategy, Marketing and Planning Improving your profitbility Other Services Our Partner at the Entrepreneur Center	OUR FOUNDERS The Business Resource Group was founded by entrepreneurs with diversified backgrounds. They collectively recognized the need for qualified, experienced consulting that would be affordable for the owners of small businesses. By forming a partnership with the Entrepreneurial Center at the Myrtle Beach Campus of Horry-Georgetown Technical College, they solidified a position in the continuum of education, counseling and consulting. Using their own skills and drawing upon their global network of experts, they can help any size business function more effectively. Here are short biographies on each of our founding members.
	Ray Binis Raymond A. Binis was Chairmen of the Board/CEO of ECM Inc., a management consulting firm. He also served as the Director of the Management Center at the University of Cincinnati and the Coordinator of Management Programs at Cornell University Nyssilir Extension. Previously, he was an Assistant VP at Marine Midland Bank. Mr. Binis was also a Plant Manager with Continental Can, Corporate HR Manager at Spaulding Fiber Corp. and both a Design Engineer and Training Director for ACF Industries. He is the past president and Trustee of the Creative Education Foundation. Mr. Binis has been a Consultant to banking, school districts, universities, businesses and government in areas of efficiently studies, redesign of management organization, restructuring of company operations and labor contract negotiations. He has a B. S. in Psychology from New York State University at Fredonia, a Masters Degree in Behavior Science, from New York State University at Buffalo, and a PE from Buffalo Technical School. "Ray was instrumental in getting me to make some changes in my business. He is very professional and available any time I have questions. I was able to obtain an SBA loan and became an LLC under his guidance. I will always be grateful to Ray." ~Sallie Walbourne, NCMG owner, Pet Pizazz Salon and Spa, LLC
	Bob Checkaneck Senior level engineering manager with experience in electronic technology, inventory and quality management and operations. Specific skills are developed in understanding customer needs, product and supplier management, quality and reliability, leveraging, and teamwork. Education: BSEE Farleigh Dickinson University
	Tony Hurst Tony has had business success nationally and internationally. He started and sold a sporting goods business as well as an import/export business. He specializes in routes to market, both business to business and business to consumer. He has also had a career as a business analyst to determine the health and future of small businesses. He has specific experience in Start-ups, Turnarounds, Sales Development, Marketing Strategy, Management Reporting, Best Practice Benchmarking, Process Improvement, and Statistical Analysis. He received a BS from William and Mary and an MBA from Columbia University. "From helping me focus down to minute details to planning for the big picture and future growth, Tony helped me solidify my start-up concept, assess viability and has cut the time I spent getting up to speed by directing my focus to pertinent tasks and strategies. A pleasure to work with; always encouraging, positive and solution oriented." ~Stephanie Gale, Owner, Design Artist, Beau Monde Organics "Tony was involved ... from the very beginning. He is a great listener and has a great perspective and view of the market. Tony has proved to be an enormous value for my company. Thank you Tony." ~Shai Levy, Co-Founder, YellowGreen Media Group LLC "Tony Hurst has been most helpful with the formation of our business. Tony guided us through our endevour, from the idea to the grand opening, and even follow-up afterwards. He was instrumental in keeping us focused and on track, and helped us to prioritize the necessary steps we needed to take. Our biggest thanks go out to him." ~Melissa Pedersen, Owner, The Flower Market "Tony has been my ally in creating a new small business. I cannot say enough about his professionalism, knowledge, and people skills. He has enormous business experience and he shares every bit of that with excitement when he is with his clients. Thanks, Tony, for everything! Your encouragement and expertise and your unfailing interest in my new business has gotten us this far. If it were not for you, YOGA in COMMON and The 'TIQUE boutique would never have come to be. Thanks again." ~Linda Phillips, Owner, Yoga in Common
	John Lamoree John Lamoree graduated from Mount Saint Marys college in May 1985, with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He joined a bank in March 1963 and held various positions in the bank for 44 years, retiring im March 2006. During his career in the bank, he worked in commerical lending, managing a team of four lenders, with an annual loan goal of $40 Million. John was Chairman of the Board of the Greater Southern Dutchess Chamber of Commerce in 2000, and has been in the Chamber for 15 years. He has held every elected position. John also was active in many other organizations and held the position of president in all of them.
	Harold Swanner Harold Swanner was Owner/Chairman of the Board of Fortune Academy Real Estate. Harold has been a licensed real estate agent since 1981 and has fifteen years as a business broker and commercial real estate agent. He helped turn a small real estate school called Fortune into a statewide academy. When he bought it in 1995, Fortune had one administrator, one instructor and one location. Today, it has six administrators, 70 instructors throughout the state and 14 locations. It grew from three courses a month to 300. "To say that Harold Swanner has had the most positive impact -- on any of the companies that I have owned and operated in the last 14+ years -- would be an understatement!!! Harold has been tremendous at both helping me to establish the future vision of my companies, as well as working with me to keep me focused on that vision to get us to the finish line. Harold is not only a trusted advisor, he's also a signifcant member of our team. Thank you Harold." ~Greg Everett, President, GE Media, Inc. and Myrtle Beach Funeral Homes, Inc. "During our first meeting, Harold's 40 years of experience convinced us that we had found the right person to help us. The work with Harold has kept us on track to accomplish our goals. We would never want to be in business without someone of Harold's ability working with us." ~Phil and Martha Dougherty, Sylvan Learning Center

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