Stebner and Associates
Founded in 1991, Stebner and Associates is an elder abuse litigation law firm focused on ensuring nursing homes, assisted living facilities, home health agencies and hospitals are held accountable for the appropriate care and respect of the elderly. Since its founding, the San Francisco-based firm has been committed to advocating for the protection of elderly rights. Before founding the firm, Kathryn Stebner was in private practice specializing in elder abuse and medical malpractice. In 1987, she filed an elder abuse lawsuit, the first in California history.
As principal of Stebner and Associates, Stebner’s passion for ensuring the elderly are well taken care of stems from her own background, as she was partially raised by her grandparents. Believing in the valuable contributions elders have made to society, Stebner and Associates have dedicated their professional lives to advocating for them. They are committed to protecting the elderly from avoidable pain and neglect that can result in injury or death and are dedicated to increasing public awareness about elder abuse.
As a business owner who took a risk when opening a law practice, Stebner advises other business owners to stay focused and grounded. “If you do what you love and keep your principles, you’re bound to find success,” she said.
Bank of San Francisco’s philosophy mirrors Stebner’s kind and compassionate approach to her clients, and it is one of the reasons she chose to work with the bank. “Bank of San Francisco treats each client as if it is a part of their family,” Stebner said. “Their hands-on personal approach mimics my own relationship with my elder abuse clients. It’s important that I practice what I preach and that I surround myself with other businesses that have the same principles.”
FineLine Construction
Founded in 1980, FineLine Construction is a general contracting business proud to serve the San Francisco Bay Area. Specializing in non-profit and affordable housing, FineLine is known for its commitment to social responsibility and its ability to finish projects within budget, on time and with excellent craftsmanship. But that’s not all that sets the company apart; headed by mother-son duo Doree and Paolo Friedman, the business is an extension of their family and one that they are happy to continue growing, together.
FineLine has completed 15,000 units of occupied rehabs to date—projects where the work includes remodeling, modernization, full system upgrades and seismic upgrades, among other initiatives. As a union contracting company, giving back to the community and offering opportunities to a wide spectrum of Bay Area residents is a top priority for the Friedmans. “We mentor and build our staff up, providing employment opportunities for low-income residents in our community—opportunities they might not have otherwise,” CEO Doree Friedman said.
FineLine seeks to work with entities that understand their company mentality and approach to business, which is why Doree Friedman chose to work with the bank. “One of the wonderful parts of going to a community bank is that they understand a growing small business like ours,” she said. “Bank of San Francisco has become a valued partner and key to our growth. We’ve even become investors in the bank, so that we all benefit from each other’s success.”
O Olive Oil & Vinegar
Founded in 1995, O Olive Oil & Vinegar Inc. is the premier producer of California specialty olive oils and wine vinegars. The company began when Greg Hinson, co-founder and president, combined his unusual passion for citrus and healthy eating by crushing whole organic citrus with fresh California Mission olives to create an unparalleled new product category—the extra virgin citrus olive oil.
During the past 20 years, O Olive Oil & Vinegar has grown exponentially—with products sold in gourmet, natural food and specialty stores in the United States, Canada, Europe and Latin America. In early 2015, the O Olive Oil & Vinegar team knew they were ready for the next phase of growth and began vetting several area banks to support them during their expansion; they finally found what they were looking for in Bank of San Francisco.
To help fund O Olive Oil & Vinegar’s growth, Bank of San Francisco took advantage of two programs from the Small Business Administration (SBA) intended to help banks provide capital to fast growing small businesses that would otherwise be unable to qualify for conventional bank loans. Bank of San Francisco used the SBA 7(a) primarily to fund O Olive Oil & Vinegar’s business expansion, while the Express Line of Credit is used for seasonal working capital.
O Olive Oil & Vinegar has been impressed by the level of participation the bank’s leadership team has shown during their time working together. “The active involvement of various players has been impressive,” said Mario Aranda, O Olive Oil & Vinegar’s vice president. “Early on, we were visited by senior officers, all of whom were good listeners. It became clear to us that they understood the needs of small businesses and could respond creatively. We look forward to a long and productive partnership.”
Warren and Associates LLC
Warren and Associates LLC is a Bay Area-based political finance and treasury services firm specializing in campaign financial management, political compliance reporting, major donor services and accounting services for non-profit and tax exempt organizations.
Nancy Warren, principal of Warren and Associates, launched her business during the height of the San Francisco AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, when she began working with a host of AIDS organizations to better their accounting practices and create reporting systems that efficiently supported their grant-writing needs. Warren’s focus shifted in the mid ‘90s when a friend asked her to run for treasurer of the Democratic County Central Committee (DCCC) in San Francisco. After a couple of San Francisco supervisors heard Warren was providing these services, they asked her to take on their own campaigns. With few people having a political-finance skill set at the time, the treasury business skyrocketed and now represents 90 percent of Warren’s current book of clients.
“Bank of San Francisco worked hard to get my business, including asking for and using my input on how to better design their online account access to better serve my multi-client environment,” Warren said. “The bank’s hands-on approach to support my business has been awesome; I consider them to be one of the most important arrows in my company quiver.”
Warren’s success demonstrates that building a strong team to provide customer service is key, and constant communication with clients is crucial. In this tech-heavy world, it takes real creativity to maintain personal touch and to create a meaningful client experience. “It’s important to surround a business with people, not companies,” Warren said. “Work with institutions where dedicated people on their team know your business almost as well as you do. Small businesses have peaks and valleys, and these dedicated people will have the flexibility to help roll with the punches.”
NCLR
The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) was founded in 1977 to advance the civil and human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their families. Founded by Donna Hitchens, the NCLR has shaped the legal landscape for the LGBT community through litigation, legislation, policy and public education for more than 30 years.
Headquartered in San Francisco, it made sense for NCLR to work with a bank that understood the community they work with. “Bank of San Francisco is truly a neighborhood bank,” said Kate Kendell, NCLR executive director. “They take time to understand our needs and to work with us to tailor the relationship in a way that supports our financial goals and needs. They deeply care about NCLR as an organization. Not to sound trite, but they, quite literally, made us feel like family.”
“From the start, Bank of San Francisco has made us feel important. Not only do they value us as a member of the community, but they support the fight for LGBT equality and justice that we work to achieve every day,” Kendell continued. “Working with a community bank that values our work and the diverse LGBT population that we serve is immeasurable—something that every organization should strive to find.”
HendricksMurry
HendricksMurry P.C. offers full-service legal representation to businesses, property owners and enterprises worldwide. The firm was founded with a single focus: to provide clients with the highest level of legal services from litigation to advice and counseling, and transactional support.
With offices in the financial districts of San Francisco and, soon, London, HendricksMurry leverages more than 30 years of combined experience in all aspects of business, real estate and employment law to effectively deliver a full spectrum of legal services to clients.
To further its mission as an LGBT-inclusive law office, in April 2016 HendricksMurry announced its certification as an LGBT Business Enterprise (LGBTBE®) through the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) Supplier Diversity Initiative. The NGLCC is the nation’s exclusive certifying body for LGBT-owned and -operated businesses. With this designation, HendricksMurry is recognized nationally as a diverse supplier.
When HendricksMurry first opened its doors in 2009, it looked for a bank that could grow with it. “Bank of San Francisco has given HendricksMurry the confidence to build a business in the competitive San Francisco environment,” said John T. Hendricks, a founding partner of HendricksMurry, P.C. “The bank’s CEO and director, Ed Obuchowski, worked closely with us from the beginning of our relationship, giving us important, clear and candid advice that was vital for a first-time entrepreneur.”
Seven years later, Bank of San Francisco remains a trusted partner for HendricksMurry. “Because of the solid financial foundation Bank of San Francisco helped us build, we have been able to fulfill our mission to ensure our individual clients and other small businesses we work with have exciting growth trajectories,” Hendricks said.
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