UGA SBDC client wins U.S. SBA Exporter of the Year award

Fulfilling his American dream

When Arroyave moved to the U.S. from Colombia, he started college, learning English and studying international business. At the time, he worked at one of the world’s largest specialty contact lens companies in Atlanta, to cover his tuition.

During his time making contacts lenses, he had an idea. The current technology was not available to companies outside of the U.S., and the business could expand its revenue significantly by exporting its product overseas. He pitched the idea to the company’s president, convincing him to allow him to attend a conference to meet potential overseas buyers. He was successful—Arroyave secured 50 new customers in Puerto Rico, a move that began a multimillion-dollar department for the company.

When the current company’s president retired, a new CEO came in and recentered the business on domestic sales. The change pushed Arroyave to venture out on his own and in 2017, Spectrum International began.

Guidance from the UGA SBDC International Trade Center

From 2017 to 2020, Spectrum had two employees and was working toward opening its first office.

“In 2020, it was only me and one other employee. We were preparing to open our first office and the pandemic hit,” said Arroyave. “All customs were closed, and exports were stopped. I thought I was going to lose my business after only three years.”

Arroyave was introduced to Darrel Hulsey, director of the UGA SBDC International Trade Center. Hulsey assisted Arroyave in applying for and receiving funds from pandemic relief programs to keep Spectrum, a move Arroyave credits for saving his business.

“It if wasn’t for that advice, we would not be here,” said Arroyave.

The pandemic relief funds carried Spectrum through the worst of the financial hardships, allowing Arroyave to focus on moving forward and growing his business.

Hulsey connected Arroyave with a list of countries and trade associations to expand the customer base. He also encouraged the company to apply for U.S. Small Business Administration loans to expand through hiring new sales reps and a marketing team.

“Darrel has been an amazing consultant,” said Arroyave. “The resources Georgia gives small business exporters—I’ve never seen anything like it. There was never a pitch. It was always ‘let me guide you, let me help you, let me educate you.’ ”

In 2024, Spectrum has 28 employees and an annual growth rate of 19%. Revenue exceeds $3 million annually. The company has offices in Atlanta, Mexico, Colombia and Spain.

Arroyave and his team were recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration as the 2024 Small Business Exporter of the Year.

“Felipe Arroyave immigrated to the U.S. and worked hard to eventually launch his American dream of business ownership. Today, Spectrum International sells its contact lenses across multiple continents and demonstrates how small businesses are growing our nation’s economy and helping us compete globally,” said SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman in a press release.

A community of support

In addition to the guidance from the UGA SBDC, Spectrum benefitted from other small business resources in Georgia, including the Georgia Department of Economic Development, U.S. Department of Commerce, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Metro Atlanta Chamber.