Big Thicket forest north of the Gulf, in the Beaumont-Port Arthur area. Working capital for Hardin County businesses that plan around storms and slow weeks.
Apply Now →Hardin County lies on the flat coastal plain of Southeast Texas, roughly 30 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico, and much of it is covered by the dense forest of the Big Thicket. The Neches River forms its eastern boundary, and Big Thicket National Preserve extends into the county. Kountze is the county seat, and the county is part of the Beaumont-Port Arthur metropolitan area. The 2020 census counted 56,231 residents across about 894 square miles. U.S. Highways 69, 287 and 96 and State Highways 105, 326 and 327 carry traffic through.
The county includes the cities of Kountze, Lumberton, Rose Hill Acres, Silsbee and Sour Lake, along with communities such as Batson, Honey Island, Saratoga, Thicket and Village Mills.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. A county 30 miles inland from the Gulf is not on the coast, but it is close enough that preparation and cleanup cost real money. The question for a business owner is not whether to prepare, but how.
Working capital is not insurance, and it does not replace it. It helps cover payroll, repairs and restocking in the stretch between the event and the insurance check.
A county that is largely forest supports a particular set of businesses: logging and hauling crews, sawmills and wood suppliers, equipment and parts dealers, welders and fabricators, and the contractors and landscapers who work in the towns. Many of them depend on a few large customers and a few expensive machines.
| Business | Largest cost | Typical gap |
|---|---|---|
| Logging and hauling | Equipment repair, fuel, crew | Mill or broker pays after delivery |
| Contractors and trades | Materials and crew | Payment at completion |
| Restaurants in Silsbee, Lumberton and Sour Lake | Food, staff, utilities | Slow weeks after storms and holidays |
| Auto and equipment repair | Parts, tools, technician pay | Commercial accounts paying on terms |
For contractors, Texas Property Code section 53.052 sets timing for a lien affidavit, which is filed with the county clerk. For a non-residential original contractor, the deadline is the 15th day of the fourth month after the month the work was completed. This is not legal advice, so check with an attorney about your own project. The point for cash flow is that unpaid work has a clock on it, and a funded buffer lets a contractor keep the crew working while the paperwork is sorted out.
A Hardin County contractor needs a $55,000 replacement truck after water damage during storm season, while an insurance claim and several customer payments are still pending. For illustration only, these figures are invented to show timing, not terms we offer. Without a truck, jobs stop; with one, the contractor can keep the crew working and collect when the payments arrive.
The application takes about five minutes and uses a soft credit pull. Sole proprietors can apply. Funding runs from $25,000 to $5,000,000, and funds can arrive in as little as 24 hours. Start your application.
Any Texas business can apply regardless of which Hardin County community it is in.
No. Insurance covers property loss. Working capital is for operating needs such as payroll, repairs and restocking while you wait on claims and customer payments.
Describe your business, your equipment and how your customers pay. Payroll, equipment and receivables are common reasons to apply.
Sole proprietors can apply.
As little as 24 hours.
Three months of business bank statements and a 5-minute application. FICO 500+ considered. $25,000 to $5,000,000, funded in as little as 24 hours.
Apply Now →It takes about two minutes and it will not affect your credit score.
No obligation • No impact to your credit score
