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Meet the Lenders: Your Connection to Capital

September 09, 2019

Are you an individual looking for financing to start a business or purchase an existing business? Are you a small business looking for financing to consolidate debt or to expand? 

Do you want to hear local commercial lenders as they answer frequently asked questions about small business lending? Do you want to know what other alternative financing sources of small business lending are out there? If you answer yes to any of these questions, then you will want to attend the upcoming Meet the Lenders: Your Connection to Capital Luncheon to be held Thursday, September 26th at the ASU LeGrand Alumni Center.

Any aspiring entrepreneur, any existing business owner or key manager, or those who work with business owners and entrepreneurs will want to attend.

Sponsored by Security Business Capital and North Texas Certified Development Corporation, the luncheon begins at 11:30 am with check-in and networking. After a brief welcome and introductions, the local commercial lender panel will start at 12 noon. It will go through a list of frequently asked questions on commercial lending. The panel will also take questions from the audience provided on written cards. Mr. Chris Evatt, Chairman, President, & CEO of First Financial Bank San Angelo Region, will moderate the local lender’s panel.  Members of the panel include Mr. Reid Stultz, Senior Vice President Lending, of Bank of San Angelo, Mr. Casey Barrett, President, & CEO of Texas Bank, Mr. Stephen Franco, Senior Vice President of Sonora Bank, and Mr. Luke Uherik, Senior Vice President of First Financial Bank of San Angelo.

The luncheon will then move into a panel of speakers discussing alternative small business lending programs. These programs include micro-loans, revolving loan programs, community advantage loans, SBA 504 fixed asset loans, and other alternative small business loan programs. There may also be time to take questions from the audience.  Ms. Adrianna Balcorta Havins, Senior Credit Analyst, of Crockett National Bank, will moderate this panel.  Members of this panel include Ms. Amy Crawford, Vice President Operations Manager of Security Business Capital, Mr. Richard Grimes, Vice President of North Texas Certified Development Corporation, and Mr. Robert Zuniga, Loan Officer of People Fund. Also included are Mr. Albert Rodriguez of Tom Green County Revolving Loan Fund, and Ms. Shannon Scott, Business Retention and Expansion Coordinator, City of San Angelo Development Corporation BREP program.

The ASU Small Business Development Center (SBDC) works with entrepreneurs who wish to start their own business venture, or who are already in business and wish to take their business to the next level by an expansion. The SBDC assists entrepreneurs to secure the financing needed to make their venture a reality, and we do this by helping clients understand the various loan programs, along with coaching entrepreneurs in the development of a loan proposal.

Understanding commercial lending can be challenging and confusing for the average entrepreneur. The Meet the Lenders Luncheon event is designed to be a partnership with local lenders and alternative financing sources to provide the information they need. In addition to representatives from various local lenders and other programs, SBDC business advisors will be present to provide advising on the financing needs of your particular business venture.

Please take a look at your calendar and make plans to register and attend the Thursday, September 26th Meet the Lenders Luncheon. For more information to register for the event call 325-942-2098 or visit the website angelo.edu/lender. Lunch is only $15 catered by Kenny Blanek.

 “Business Tips” was written by Dave Erickson, Director and Certified Business Advisor, of Angelo State University’s Small Business Development Center.  For more information on the topic of this article or the services of the ASU · SBDC, contact him at David.Erickson@angelo.edu.