Cobbleview Loans, a small-business funding broker in Frederick, Maryland, introduces requests from four sectors to lending partners: construction, restaurants and food service, medical and dental practices, and retail. Frederick County had 904 construction, 498 food service, 551 ambulatory health care and 724 retail employer establishments in 2023. Partners decide every request.
The four sectors in Frederick County, MD
| Sector | Employer establishments | Paid employees | Share under 5 employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction (NAICS 23) | 904 | 8,998 | 61.1% |
| Food services and drinking places (NAICS 722) | 498 | 9,915 | 26.1% |
| Ambulatory health care (NAICS 621) | 551 | 6,899 | 42.8% |
| Retail trade (NAICS 44-45) | 724 | 13,462 | 37.7% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023. Restaurants and retail employ more people per establishment; construction firms are mostly small.
Construction and the trades
Of the county's 904 construction employers, 601 were specialty trade contractors such as electricians, plumbers and HVAC firms, and 265 built buildings. Contractors buy materials and pay crews before a builder or owner pays them. More on contractor and construction financing.
Restaurants and food service
Frederick County had 459 restaurants and other eating places among its 498 food service employers in 2023. Requests usually involve kitchen equipment, fit-outs and short gaps. See restaurant financing.
Medical and dental practices
Ambulatory health care counted 551 employer establishments in the county, including 154 physician offices and 118 dental offices. Practices finance imaging, chairs, sterilization and software. Details: medical and dental practice financing.
Retail and wholesale
The county's 724 retail employers had 13,462 paid employees in 2023, and 258 wholesale employers had 3,204. Stores tie up cash in stock, which is what inventory financing is built for.
Cobbleview's sector-to-structure starting points
| Sector | Often a fit | Sometimes a fit |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | Equipment finance, a revolving line | Working capital, term loan |
| Restaurants | Equipment financing, working capital | Term loan, merchant cash advance (not a loan) |
| Medical and dental | Equipment financing, term loan | Line of credit, working capital |
| Retail | Stock-backed credit, a revolving line | Equipment financing, merchant cash advance (not a loan) |
These are starting points for a conversation, not rules. What gets offered is for each partner to decide.
Outside the four sectors
Agriculture and trucking fall outside what Cobbleview's partners fund. Owners in other sectors can still call; we will say plainly whether we can help. County-wide figures for every sector are on Frederick County by the numbers.
By Cobbleview Loans · Updated
