Business Profiles

Today, Joe sells only high-end, Amish-built sheds, gazebos and garages. “I refuse to cut corners,” he says. “Absolutely no one is building the types of structures we’re building. You never have to apologize for quality.”

Quality also was top of mind when Joe chose Ulster Savings Bank to finance the deal with Brad. “They do everything for me—business checking, loans, all my insurances—which is important, because I don’t have the time. I need to focus on running my business.

“They look out for me. I never, ever worry that I couldn’t walk in and talk to them about anything. They’re like a silent partner.”

According to Russ, people who run to big-box stores and purchase water treatment units often end up with systems that tank, because the problem hasn’t been properly diagnosed. “Before installing any equipment, you have to go out and check the water,” he says. “We do a thorough test and guarantee the results.”

When it comes to good results, Russ also appreciates a bank that delivers—and doesn’t soak him for every little thing. “Ulster Savings Bank is just the opposite of what we were used to,” he says. “They don’t have the fee structure that other commercial banks have. Our old bank charged for everything—even when we just called to verify checks. Not so with Ulster Savings.”

“They’ve done a lot of good things for us…lines of credit, commercial mortgages. They came up with an inventive way to finance our building,” says Russ. “They run a good, crisp bank. And the people at all of the branches are the same—friendly!”

Joe is also on a first-name basis with Ulster Savings Bank, and has been for over 10 years. “What I like about them the most is that everyone knows me by name. It’s the simplicity of getting a loan that matters to me most.”

Joe uses Ulster Savings for vehicle financing, lines of credit, even health insurance. “I just call up, say it’s Joe from Lightning, and get fast answers on loans and other things I need. It’s easy.”

Lightning Express specializes in moving time-sensitive cargo for light manufacturing companies: pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, solar equipment and the like. “Our primary sales tools are word-of-mouth and the quality of service we provide,” says Joe.

“I wanted to grow our company, Ellenbogen Productions, without having to grow our core staff,” says Jeremy. “Now I can market the services of the media center collectively to people in New York City and be competitive on price and quality. It’s all about pooled resources.”

The $1.2 million project also required considerable financial resources. “Some banks just didn’t get the project,” says Jeremy. “Ulster Savings Bank looked at us as people. Anybody can make up spreadsheets. Anybody can do projections. But the numbers are only as good as the people behind them.”

“Ulster Savings not only funded the mortgage, but also helped us save on taxes and offered lines of credit. When you’re trying to run a business, going through the application process can be a bit daunting. But there was always a smile, a ‘here’s how you do it,’ and they were fast to close.”

“It took a year to develop the plan. We had 1,600 doctors, nurses and paramedics, 20 ambulances, and three helicopters. We ended up seeing 8,000 people over a weekend at local hospitals and clinics. It was quite an undertaking.”

Today, Dr. Anderson is still caring for people in the Hudson Valley as owner of EmergencyOne in Kingston, an urgent care clinic. And though they may not be of rock-show proportion, there are still challenges.

For instance, when the doctor developed plans to expand the facility in Kingston and open a Hyde Park location, his bankers balked. “Put it this way, they didn’t seem interested in what we were trying to accomplish,” he says.

Eventually, Dr. Anderson found an attentive advocate in Ulster Savings Bank, which provided lines of credit, equipment financing and insurance. “Compared to the larger bank we were dealing with, it was like crossing into another world. They were extremely friendly, and understood where we wanted to go. They became our partners.”