Twenty-five years in the contracting business hasn’t diminished Aaron Luna Nava’s commitment to excellence and the values of integrity, professionalism and diligence in residential and commercial home improvement and construction. That commitment, combined with hard work and attention to detail led to La Palma developing a reputation as the area’s go-to construction company.
Arriving in the United States in 1975, Aaron was drawn to Kennett Square, Pa., where he found an active, vibrant Hispanic community where he learned to speak English. He and his wife enjoyed life in Kennett Square, where they grew a family of six children. By 2015, Aaron was in a position to open his own business and La Palma Construction was born, offering services from internal and external painting, kitchen and bathroom remodeling, drywall installation, roofing, power washing, flooring, window and door installation, and concrete work.
The business was profitable and growing every year as Aaron’s reputation for providing quality work earned him a loyal following among real estate developers and banks throughout Chester and Delaware Counties in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and New Castle County in Delaware.
And then came COVID-19.
Between shut downs and homeowners’ fear of allowing people outside their COVID bubble into their homes, La Palma’s business volume plummeted to only about 25% of pre-COVID levels.
With some 15 employees on payroll, Aaron’s loyalty compelled him to continue to work. “We kept moving, but very slowly,” said Aaron. “Mostly we worked on vacant properties and empty spaces. I really tried to help my employees be able to take some money home to their families.”
The revenue wasn’t enough to carry the business through the many months that COVID kept the nation in limbo, so Aaron ultimately turned to True Access Capital for a loan for working capital to cover rent, salaries and other expenses.
“I liked working with them. They made the application process easy. I worked with Lorenzo who is smart and helpful,” Aaron said. “He worked with me in the Spanish language and helped me understand everything,” he continued.
Now business has picked up again. “I get a lot of my leads from recommendations and word-of-mouth endorsements,” Aaron remarked. He is grateful to the developers who continued to provide work through the lean times and allowed his business to survive.
“I’m happy we could retain our employees through it all. And now we’re back in a position to resume our growth and success,” he concluded.
