Cell phone-Mate Inc. has been in business for the last 10 years. They design and manufacture cell phone signal amplifiers and accessories that dramatically improve cell phone communications range for mobile, home and enterprise office settings. Their Sure Call™ flagship product line of FCC-approved signals amplifiers boost the range and reception of almost any cell phone device. Founded in 2001 and based in the Silicon Valley, Cell Phone-Mate is an industry leader with multiple patents pending on their superior signal amplifier technology. The Company continues to develop innovative new products that address the changing needs of all types of cell phone users. They sell their product though distributor networks in the USA and Canada.

The man behind this successful company is Hongtao Zhan, who completed his studies at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, get is M.S degree from the graduate school of the Chinese Academia of Science in Beijing and UCLA in California. He started his career in Silicon Valley as a Design Engineer. For 5 years he worked at different companies such as Cirrus Logic, and Data Path Systems. But very soon Hongtao realized that he wanted something more interesting in life and the young ambitious man started dreaming about his own business.

Within no time he developed some interesting ideas of improving cell phone reception and removing radiation exposure from the user using an intelligent repeater. He registered a company in 2001, and started working. By 2003 he renamed the company to Cell Phone-Mate Inc. Also he filed the patent and made a simplified working prototype.

To complete his dream of designing, manufacturing, marketing and distributing the cellular amplifier system, he needed financial support.  He was looking for VC funding for years without success. He decided to divide the system into smaller pieces and manufacture one piece, which is an amplifier. He then started marketing this product. But due to fund constrains the company kept on struggling. Around 2006 at one point the company almost went into bankruptcy. “Having lots of credit card debt, difficulties in paying company bills. I had nowhere to go for help. Have nothing left to lose and out of desperation, I contacted SCORE and that’s the time SCORE came with its helping hand and pulled me out from the darkness and showed me the light”. Hongtao Zhan showed his appreciation to SCORE when he was recalling the early problems.
 
”I learned about SCORE from the SBA and for the last 4 years we are getting continuous support from SCORE counselor Mark Levi. He has been always very helpful in checking the milestones, and following through each task once it was defined. Mark and fellow counselor Lido Scardigli were helping us in every way, sorting out the cash flow issues, customer issues, manufacturing issues, FCC license issue, personnel issues, law-suit from competitors, FCC regulation issues and tax issues. For every problem SCORE always gave us the right solution. Counselors Hy Ramm and Tom Tranfaglia also supported us during our initial problems”

Hongtao mentioned that despite all their hard work the company was not doing well until they met with SCORE. “Mark and Lido taught us how to proceed step by step and guided us with their constructive and helpful suggestions. We followed all their advice and have been closely working with them for 4 years. Now one by one we solved our problems and have become a successful multimillion dollar company. Cell Phone-Mate Inc.’s customers are now all over the USA and Canada.”

He also said that continuous support from SCORE made their revenue increase by more than tenfold since 2006. The Company has been profitable every year and it became debt free since 2008. They also increased their employee count from two to nineteen since 2006. They are working in the USA as well as in China.

“I am 42 years old, and I am running a multimillion dollar company and it only happened because of SCORE’s support”. I am grateful to them for the position I am in today and the success of my company, Hongtao said proudly.

Hongtao added, in the future if they get similar support from SCORE, his dream is to double their revenue and become the market leader. The company is running in its 10th year, and with the help of SCORE he wants to run the company for 30 more years. He is confident he can achieve the target.