Spotlight on leaders in Small Business Administration lending
North Bay banks were invited to send us snapshot profiles of their leading Small Business Administration loan officers, including their favorite SBA lending stories, and recent bank news.
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Bay Area Development Company
Bob Thompson
Vice president
925-472-5603
Year assumed position: 1995
Significant news: Expansion to southern California office
Favorite SBA lending story: Simply being able to assist an applicant that has exhausted all other potential lending avenues and then seeing them prosper as a result of the financing. This is the true benefit of SBA: It enables certain businesses to obtain financing that may not otherwise be available without the support (guarantee) that SBA provides. That and the leverage that SBA allows - lower down payment and equity requirements increase the field of potential purchasers/borrowers - over conventional financing.
Most inspiring leader: Steve Kerr
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Capital Access Group
Jacklyn Jordan
President and founder
415-217-7600
Year assumed position: 1997
Significant news: We are proud to be partnering with Small Business Development Centers of Northern California in sponsoring Access to Capital workshops throughout the Bay Area, most recently in Marin County. We are excited about the opportunity to provide business owners with the tools they need to grow their businesses and be successful. The Access to Capital workshops focus on providing these resources to business owners.
Favorite SBA lending story: Recently, Capital Access Group arranged $10.65 million in total project financing for Moresco Distributing Company to purchase the largest [available] warehouse and office space in Sonoma County, a 123,600-square-foot facility located at 1450 Technology Ln. in Petaluma. Moresco was operating out of two facilities, a building it owned and a second building it was leasing. The company consolidated both locations into the new building, which includes 39,500 square feet of class A office space.
This was the second 504 loan for Moresco Distributing. The company accessed 504 financing through Capital Access Group to purchase its first building, which it sold, and reinvested the proceeds in the new building through a 1031 exchange.
Moresco is a full-service packaging and distribution company specializing in biodegradable and compostable products in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, and Portland, Ore., regions.
“The SBA loan was the difference, and Capital Access showed us the path to justify this move. More people should take advantage of the 504 program,” said Ron Moresco. “Without the 504 program, we wouldn’t have been able to buy this building.”
Most-inspiring leader: Our clients. I have been fortunate to work with hundreds of small business leaders who are inspirational. Business owners who have started, grown and led successful businesses are an inspiration to me and the reason we do what we do at Capital Access Group.
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CDC Small Business Finance
Kelly Ryan
SBA loan expert
510-597-2059
Year assumed position: 2012
Significant news: CDC Small Business Finance is the No. 1 SBA lender in the nation and has been helping small businesses for more than 37 years.
Favorite SBA lending story: El Metate is a well-known Mexican restaurant in the Mission District of San Francisco. The restaurant’s landlord was going to put the building on the market. That could have caused the business to move out of the location they’d occupied for the past 11 years. Through SBA financing, CDC and a lender provided the capital for the business to purchase their building with just a 10 percent down payment. The purchase helped the business lock in its occupancy costs and prevent any future relocation issues.
Most-inspiring leader: Madeleine Albright
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Exchange Bank
Sherrill J. Stockton
Senior vice president
707-521-3753
Year assumed position: 2009
Significant news: After starting the SBA Department in fall 2009, the bank has added two new loan production offices in the East Bay and the South Bay. Exchange Bank now has SBA business development officers in Santa Rosa, Roseville, Lafayette and San Jose.
Favorite SBA lending story: When asked, I proudly boast that my job is to help people make their dreams come true. I have the privilege of working with impassioned entrepreneurs who by virtue of following their dreams make significant economic contributions to our communities through revenue and job creation.
Most-inspiring leader: Working with Dave Titus for over 10 years was a honor. He is a man of high moral character. He led with patience, intelligence, humor, fairness and common sense. His commitment to doing the right thing every time and for everyone contributed to a corporate culture that engendered trust, respect and success.