Desktop Banking
Alliance Customer: 11 Years
He was just a kid in college, but Greg Gathers had a very grownup plan. He wanted to become the most successful tree care company in Topeka, and then, in the country.
Gathers visited a few banks to seek help for his new venture, but none took him seriously. Until he stopped at Alliance.
“The executives at Alliance really listened to me and my ideas,” recalls Gathers, “I was on a first-name basis with the president right from the start.”
Gathers set up a business account, and within a year, he was taking out his first major loan—for a large truck. Having seen Gathers’ work ethic over the last 12 months, Alliance put their faith in Gathers and approved the loan on the spot.
“When I came in and made deposits,” says Gathers, “I would sit down and share how things were going with Mark. He was genuinely interested in hearing about where I wanted business to go.”
Gathers adds that Alliance has played a significant role in his growth thanks to a line of credit that allows him to compete with the big guys.
“I have to be able to finance everything from equipment to lodging for my crew when we compete for large-scale contracts in other states,” says Gathers. “Alliance gives me the power to do that.”
In 2009, Custom Tree Care made the INC 500 List of the fastest growing private companies in the nation, and was also named the 2009 KSBDC Small Business of the Year. Gathers credits Alliance Bank with helping to make both accomplishments possible.
“It’s a great relationship,” says Gathers. “They trust my expertise and I definitely trust theirs.”
