Gilberto Ortega
Loan OfficerValley Bank
Age
Background
42
10 years with Valley Bank, 8 years on Two By Four account, his largest account, 5 years with Consolidated Bank
Who is going to take over the leadership position?
Bob is a solid leader who makes wise decisions, but, I fear, he makes all the decisions. I'm not convinced the kids involved in the business have Bob’s perspective or his instincts. We have a relationship that goes back a long way. Whoever takes the helm will have to convince me they can maintain stability and return the business to its former level of profitability. I’m going to miss working with Bob.
Big changes are happening in Two By Four's industry.
We deal with a lot of other manufacturers, and the trends are pretty clear. Technology upgrades are essential to stay competitive. Two By Four needs to deal with their aging systems. With the possibility of a new leadership team coming on, I believe this is an issue that must be in their strategic business plan.
How I can help set up financing for their important upgrades.
Technology upgrades, equipment upgrades, and possibly expanding the facilities are all areas where we can help. I’m afraid if there is turnover among key people as the result of a transition; it will slow down any project financing. There is a lot of homework to be done before we can move forward. I'd feel much better if I knew who will lead the company and had confidence in his or her vision. Changing the leadership in business can be very difficult. I just hope Bob has thought ahead and planned for his transition out of the company.