Finding help when it was needed
Linda Jorgenson has been a truck driver and business owner since 2015, when she bought her first truck with the assistance of First American Capital Corporation.
An enrolled member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, and a woman, she has managed to overcome significant barriers, including access to capital, establishing credibility within a male-dominated industry and the procurement of resources when they are scarce. These successes have all contributed to her resilience, fortitude and strength. Linda’s journey speaks to the heart of the mission of FACC.
Question: What’s your business? When did you start it? Why?
Answer: I am an owner-operator of a single truck company named Eagle Feather Trucking, LLC. In November of 2014 I went to school at Fox Valley Technical College to obtain my Class A CDL’s for what I thought was going be my career in heavy equipment/road construction. Long story short, I got behind the wheel and really liked it. I pretty much forgot about the career of heavy equipment and decided I would purchase a truck right after school. I worked with an acquaintance who suggested I go through AICCW-FACC. In all honesty, I feel I had to really sell myself to them (FACC) because I was a woman. I think they were not sure about taking a chance on me. After some time, they did. I got a loan for a 2005 Western Star that was way too big for its own good of what I was doing at that time.
Q: How long have you had a relationship with AICCW-FACC?
A: I started working for a company that worked mostly in the lumber industry. We have been working with AICCW-FACC since 2015 when we purchased our first truck, a very old used trailer (1999) and started going out to longer runs. In January of 2016, I sent my husband Randy to Fox Valley Technical College to obtain his Class A and upon his graduation, we started long haul. We then had issues with our first truck and were told in order to continue to work with AICCW, I had to purchase a brand new truck. This truck is the truck we have currently. It is not the truck I wanted but because we were in such a rush to continue working, we settled with it.
Q: What is your favorite part about working with FACC?
A: My favorite part about working with FACC is that they genuinely seem to care.
Q: What are your business goals for 2022-23?
A: Our business goals for 2022-23 is to get a handle on all our numbers so we can grow our business. We are currently in talks with other trucking businesses and thinking about possibly getting our own authority and maybe growing from there.
Q: How can FACC help you with those goals?
A: With our future goals, we are hoping that FACC will be there to assist us with continued loans and workshops.
