Victor Basso

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Building a credit history and easing cash flow at the same time

When Victor Basso began working with his father at his family business, Elite Warehouse & Distribution Inc., they had no credit and no credit history. At that time, all bills were paid with checks or debit. Like many from the next generation who join a business, Victor had new ideas and fresh ambition that he brought with him to their trucking and warehouse business.

Elite is a third-party logistics company that unloads shipping containers that come in from ports around the world, such as China, India, and Pakistan. They bring the goods to their 100,000- square-foot warehouse in New Jersey where they sort, organize, and label the items and then load them into trucks and trailers and deliver them to major retailers throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. And they do it fast — sometimes turning goods around in a matter of hours.

A plan to build credit and grow the business

Victor dreamed of eventually buying Elite its own warehouse and expanding the business, and he knew the first step on that path was establishing a business credit history. He already had his own personal credit history and had been a Delta Skymiles^® American Express Card Member since 2018. So, when an American Express rep contacted him about American Express^® Business Line of Credit he was immediately enthusiastic. “I told her, ‘This is something I’ve been wanting to do — to establish a business credit record.’”

Elite was quickly approved for a line of credit. “American Express,” Victor said, “didn’t play any games. There were no hidden fees. I felt very comfortable.”

Discovering the peace of mind of added financial flexibility

Within a few months, Victor had drawn on the entire line for a 12-month term and was experiencing the benefits of having extra business capital to help with cash flow as needed, like paying workers, paying rent, or keeping his warehouse equipment in good working condition. He ticks off expenses: “Oil changes. Hydraulic fluids. Fixing the wheels. That’s a few thousand dollars a month right there. You hate having to worry about how you’re going to pay for this, how you’re going to pay for that. The business line of credit from American Express made things 100% easier,” he says. “My blood pressure is lower.”

Spreading the word

Victor became such a fan of American Express^® Business Line of Credit he even started recommending it to customers, friends, and work colleagues. He has told many other business owners about funding. “They love it,” he says.

Going forward, Victor says that with the competitive pricing of American Express^® Business Line of Credit, he is considering using it to help finance the purchase of Elite’s warehouse equipment, such as electric jacks, order pickers, and the big machines that load and unload pallets. These are major business expenses that they had previously financed directly with the seller at high interest rates. “With American Express’ pricing, we could save.”

Now that Elite is on its way to establishing business credit, Victor has opened an American Express Business Platinum Card^® account as well. “It’s beautiful,” he enthuses. “It came just when we needed computers for the office”

“American Express is really there to help me and to help grow my business.”

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