Horizon Community Bank, an Arizona Top 10 SBA lender specializing in loans from $100,000 to $4 million, announced the addition of commercial lending expert Scott Dickman as senior commercial banking manager. Dickman’s 38 years of financial experience, local relationships and deep knowledge of the Arizona market are anticipated to help Horizon Community Bank rapidly grow its customer base in the Phoenix Metropolitan area.
“I’m honored to join the Horizon Community Bank team. The level of involvement with their customers is extremely appealing and I’m excited to lead their expansion,“ says Dickman.
Noticing a steady uptick in the local economy as businesses continue to recover from the economic downturn and become more profitable, Dickman hopes to aggressively fund capital expansion and commercial real estate purchases with attractive, flexible loan packages.
“Baby boomers are coming of age,” he goes on to mention. Because many Arizona boomers are beginning to think about retirement and selling their business, or transitioning it to the next generation, Dickman has noticed increased interest in succession planning and business purchase loans. Businesses are being snapped up by those tired of corporate life, or burned out from layoffs and restructuring. “It’s a significant change we can expect to increase.”
Other trends Dickman expects throughout the remainder of 2015 include:
• Moderate growth of expansion loans as businesses continue to see revenue improvements,
• Many businesses remain in conservative spending mode, waiting to see what the economy and election will bring,
• Increased focus on technologies to improve online and mobile banking,
• Investor concerns about the national interest rate, backed with efforts to mitigate concerns through custom loan structures, and
• Increasing interest in owner occupied real estate as a rent stability and wealth building tactic.
Compared to traditional commercial lending executives, Dickman has an expansive background spanning a variety of industries and sizes. His experience in business development, management, operations, credit functions, cash management and custom loan structuring helps him understand the complex nuances of an operating business. Dickman’s past positions include senior leadership roles at Comerica Bank, Arizona Bank & Trust, First Tennessee Bank and Transamerica Finance Corporation, and decades of experience working for an assortment of Fortune 100 companies.
