The SBA Loan That Built a $14.5 Billion Empire
When people think of SBA loans, they often picture a small neighborhood shop or a modest local franchise. But what if we told you that some of America’s most iconic companies — brands you see on grocery store shelves every single day — were built on the back of an SBA loan?
The truth is, SBA loans aren’t just for small-time operators. They’re the launchpad that has propelled scrappy entrepreneurs into the ranks of America’s wealthiest business owners. And no story illustrates this better than Chobani yogurt.
Chobani: An SBA Loan That Changed an Entire Industry
In 2005, a Turkish immigrant named Hamdi Ulukaya noticed a classified ad in a trade magazine. Kraft Foods was closing its yogurt factory in the small town of South Edmeston, New York — a region with deep roots in America’s dairy industry dating back to the mid-nineteenth century.
Most people would have tossed the ad aside. Ulukaya didn’t.
He had come to the United States in 1994 to study English, eventually enrolling in business courses at the University at Albany. Before the yogurt factory opportunity, he had started a modest feta cheese company in 2002 on his father’s advice. But the Kraft factory was something different — it was a massive, fully-equipped yogurt production facility being sold at a fraction of its value.
There was one problem: Ulukaya didn’t have the money to buy it.
The SBA Loan That Changed Everything
Ulukaya turned to the Small Business Administration loan program to finance the purchase of the defunct Kraft plant. The SBA loan gave him the capital he needed to acquire the factory, hire back several former Kraft employees, and begin developing his own Greek yogurt recipe.
Drawing on his childhood spent raising sheep and goats and making cheese with his family in eastern Turkey, Ulukaya hired a yogurt master from Turkey. Together, they tested hundreds of recipes — experimenting with different bacterial cultures, temperatures, and fermentation durations — until they created a yogurt with the perfect taste, texture, and natural shelf life.
He named it Chobani, a variation of the Turkish word çoban, meaning “shepherd.”
From SBA Loan to Billion-Dollar Brand
Chobani launched in 2007. The growth that followed was nothing short of extraordinary:
- 2009: Major chains Stop & Shop and ShopRite began carrying Chobani. By mid-2009, the company was selling 200,000 cases per week. Later that year, warehouse giants BJ’s Wholesale Club and Costco picked up the brand.
- 2010: Chobani surpassed $1 billion in annual sales — just five years after Ulukaya purchased the factory with an SBA loan.
- 2016: Ulukaya announced he was giving 10% of Chobani’s ownership stake to his employees.
- 2023: Chobani acquired La Colombe Coffee Roasters for $900 million, expanding into the cold coffee market.
- Today: Chobani is the top-selling Greek yogurt brand in the United States, operating the largest yogurt facility in the world. Ulukaya’s personal net worth is estimated at $14.5 billion.
All of it started with an SBA loan and the courage to buy a closed-down factory that nobody else wanted.
Why SBA Loans Are the Ultimate Business Acquisition Tool
Chobani’s story isn’t just inspiring — it reveals something fundamental about how wealth is built in America. The SBA loan program was created in 1953 by President Eisenhower specifically to help entrepreneurs who might not qualify for conventional bank financing get the capital they need to start and grow businesses.
Here’s what makes SBA loans so powerful for business acquisitions:
Lower Down Payments
SBA loans typically require as little as 10% down for business acquisitions, compared to 20-30% or more with conventional loans. This means you can acquire a much larger business with less cash out of pocket — exactly what Ulukaya did when he purchased the Kraft factory.
Longer Repayment Terms
With repayment terms of up to 10 years for business acquisitions (and up to 25 years when real estate is involved), SBA loans keep your monthly payments manageable while you’re growing the business. Lower payments mean more cash flow to reinvest.
Government-Backed Guarantee
The SBA guarantees a portion of the loan (up to 85% on loans under $150,000 and 75% on larger loans), which reduces the risk for lenders. This means banks are more willing to say yes to borrowers who might otherwise be turned down — including first-time business buyers and immigrants like Ulukaya.
Competitive Interest Rates
Because of the government guarantee, SBA loans offer some of the most competitive interest rates available for small business financing. You’re not paying predatory rates — you’re getting bank-quality terms backed by the full faith of the U.S. government.
Buying an Existing Business: The Smartest Path to Ownership
What Ulukaya did — buying an existing facility rather than building from scratch — is one of the smartest moves an entrepreneur can make. When you buy an existing business, you get:
- Existing infrastructure: Equipment, facilities, and systems already in place
- Proven cash flow: A track record of revenue you can underwrite against
- Trained employees: Ulukaya hired back former Kraft workers who already knew the equipment
- Established supplier relationships: Vendor accounts and supply chains that took years to build
- Immediate revenue: You start earning from day one, not month twelve
SBA loans are specifically designed to finance business acquisitions. The SBA 7(a) loan program can provide up to $5 million for buying an existing business, and the process is more straightforward than most people think — especially when you have the right broker in your corner.
You Don’t Have to Be a Billionaire to Start — That’s the Point
The beauty of the Chobani story is that Hamdi Ulukaya wasn’t wealthy when he bought that factory. He was a first-generation immigrant running a small feta cheese operation. He didn’t have millions in the bank. He didn’t have venture capital connections. He had a vision, a willingness to work, and an SBA loan.
That’s the entire point of the SBA program — to level the playing field and give everyday entrepreneurs access to the same caliber of financing that was previously reserved for the well-connected.
And it’s not just about yogurt factories. Every year, thousands of Americans use SBA loans to:
- Buy profitable local businesses (restaurants, auto shops, medical practices)
- Acquire franchise locations
- Purchase manufacturing companies
- Take over service businesses with recurring revenue
- Buy e-commerce businesses and digital assets
Any one of these could be your Chobani moment.
How GoSBA Makes Getting Your SBA Loan Simple
Here’s the thing about SBA loans: the program is incredible, but the process can be complex. Different lenders have different requirements, different appetites for risk, and different timelines. Navigating that maze on your own can cost you weeks — or even cause you to lose a deal.
That’s where GoSBA Loans comes in.
We’re not a bank. We’re a free SBA loan brokerage that matches you with the right lender from our network of 50+ SBA-approved lenders. In 2025 alone, we’ve helped fund over $320 million in SBA loans for business buyers across the country.
What You Get Working With GoSBA (100% Free)
- Access to 50+ lenders: We don’t work with one bank — we shop your deal across dozens of SBA lenders to find the best terms, fastest timeline, and highest approval probability for your specific situation.
- Free business plan & financial projections: A professional-quality business plan and financial projections package — the kind that typically costs $2,500 to $5,000 if you hired a consultant. We include it at no cost because it dramatically improves your approval odds.
- Expert deal structuring: We know exactly how to present your acquisition to lenders so it gets approved. From debt service coverage ratios to seller note structures, we handle the complexity.
- Zero cost to you: Our service is completely free. Lenders compensate us when your loan funds — you pay nothing extra.
Your SBA Loan Story Starts Here
Hamdi Ulukaya saw a for-sale ad for a yogurt factory and had the courage to act. That single decision — financed by an SBA loan — created a company worth billions, employed thousands of Americans, and transformed an entire industry.
Your story doesn’t have to be that dramatic. Maybe it’s a profitable plumbing company. Maybe it’s a chain of fitness studios. Maybe it’s a well-run restaurant with twenty years of loyal customers. Whatever the opportunity, an SBA loan can help you seize it.
The next billion-dollar business might start with your SBA loan. Or maybe just the next great life for you and your family.
Either way, it starts with a conversation.
→ Talk to a GoSBA Loan Specialist Today (Free, No Obligation)
50+ lenders. $320M+ funded in 2025. Free business plan included. Zero cost to you.
