Local Banks Help Businesses Grow
“The more I know about you and your business, the more quickly I can react.”
Local banks give business owners the best of both worlds: modern convenience combined with personal connection.
“We really try to work with the small business,” said Christine Mesick, Vice President of Adirondack Trust Company. “We customize what we do to each borrower.” The bank offers all the standard loans, including Small Business Administration (SBA) loan programs that offer low down payments and flexible terms. Express loans are also available.
Mesick said bank staff can tailor each loan to the needs of the company, working quickly as needed.
“When the Payment Protection Program hit, the teamwork that we pulled off to get that program out and that money into the community was pretty impressive,” Mesick remembered. “We were live the first hour it came up. The whole team was in here.” She even remembered the Bank President, Charles V. Wait, Jr., out on the floor taking drink orders and bringing food to employees. “It was like in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’,” she said.
“There is a ton of history here with this bank and with this community,” Mesick noted. The bank has a lot of repeat business customers, and is always open to fostering new relationships. Some companies are referred to the bank by their accountants, Mesick said. Others find the bank on their own. “We get people who show up in the lobby. They can find us online. We try to keep ourselves accessible. And the bank’s been here forever; it’s not a new name.”
Mesick said one of the enjoyable aspects of her work is watching local businesses grow. She used the example of Lazy Dog Cookie Company of Ballston Spa, known for gourmet dog treats. “It started in the couple’s kitchen,” she said. “We started out with a small line of credit for them to buy inventory. They grew and grew, and now they lease a 10,000 square foot warehouse. We have their treats in our branches.”
Mesick said the important thing for businesses to remember when it comes to having a positive relationship with their local bank is to maintain open communication. “The more I know about you and your business, the more quickly I can react. It’s that constant communication, just staying in touch and getting to know each other.” Plus, the communication makes the experience of borrowing and lending more personal. “I’m having fun,” Mesick said.
CASE STUDY – Anything But Idle: The Lazy Dog Cookie Co.
The Lazy Dog Cookie Co., Inc. is the brainchild of Amy Augustine. In 2001, the microbiologist began making peanut butter dog treats out of her kitchen for her colleagues. She and her husband Keith, now the vice president of sales for Lazy Dog, have always loved dogs, but haven’t always loved the ingredients found in typical dog food and treats. When they saw how much Amy’s coworkers liked her all-natural homemade treats, she signed up for a booth at their local farmers market, at that time, in Pennsylvania. The treats were a hit. And so, a business was born.
Fast forward to 2005…a move has placed them in their new community: Saratoga County. Once again Amy set up shop in their home, and her business continued to grow.
But with that success and fast growth came the need for financial tools to help the business scale. And with each move came a new bank that didn’t understand their business; so, until Lazy Dog found Adirondack Trust, the Augustines financed business needs with personal credit.
“We stayed with Adirondack Trust because we liked it the best,” Keith said, explaining that the other large, national banks simply didn’t take their business seriously.
Adirondack Trust provided the Augustines with a Small Business Administration (SBA) working capital line of credit to help consolidate credit-card balances. The line of credit helped them to build a stable base for their business, without having to dip into personal funds, like many startups do. They also are insured by Amsure, Adirondack Trust’s independent insurance agency.
In 2007, the business had grown enough that Keith resigned his corporate sales job, and completely dove into Lazy Dog with Amy, and hasn’t looked back. Since 2008, Lazy Dog has been headquartered in Ballston Spa, but its reach is far beyond the small town. Now, Lazy Dog treats can be found almost anywhere dog treats are sold: from local pet shops to PetSmart and Chewy, all across the United States and Canada. Lazy Dog’s expanding line of products now include items like Pup-PIE®s to celebrate life’s special occasions, Mutt Mallows®, Treat them with LOVE!® crunchy biscuits, a whole make-at-home line, and even a children’s book—Hairiot Found Home—about one of the couple’s beloved rescue pups.
“A lot of people don’t even realize we’re local,” said Keith, “but we’re rooted in the community, and want to be where our community is. We love it here.”
“This is the type of relationship career bankers wish for,” said Chris Mesick, Lazy Dog’s commercial lending officer at Adirondack Trust. “It is an honor to play a small role in their success.”
“The Lazy Dog Cookie Co., Inc.® is a perfect example of folks who worked hard and put in years of sweat equity to successfully build their business,” she reinforced.
“Regardless of how big we get, we feel supported,” Keith said of their relationship with Adirondack Trust and Mesick. “Our bankers help find solutions for anything, which has been so important during our years of rapid growth.”
“It’s not like a big corporate office,” he continued. “I know that when I call Adirondack Trust, someone will personally take care of us.”
Fellow local dog lovers are invited to sample The Lazy Dog Cookie Co., Inc.® treats at most Adirondack Trust Company branches, while supplies last. These all-natural treats come in a variety of delicious flavors, such as Candied Maple Sweet Potato, Ginger Glazed Pumpkin Carrot, Cinnamon Swirled Peanut Butter, Crushed Peanut Sprinkled Banana, and Toasted Vanilla Peanut Butter. All treats contain limited ingredients that are good enough for humans.
To learn more about The Lazy Dog Cookie Co. Inc.®, and to find out where to purchase their products, visit www.lazydogcookies.com.