Pub. 5 2015 Issue 2

F O R MORE THAN 30 YEARS, NATIONAL BANK OF ARIZONA HAS WORKED WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES BY PROVIDING LOCAL EXPERTISE AND DELIVERING AWARD-WINNING SERVICE. AS THE STATE’S LARGEST COMMUNITY BANK, NB|AZ is a full service financial institution that offers a suite of products and services tailored to their clients’ lives and business needs. In 2013, NB|AZ began telling the success stories of the cli- ents they serve with the launch of Arizona Business Today and its corresponding web site, www.ArizonaBusinessToday.com . To date, NB|AZ has featured more than 40 clients who de- scribe their business and their relationship with NB|AZ. Here are just a few of those stories. CLASSIC BUSINESS MODEL Even as you’re surrounded by handsomely restored cars from decades ago, you might not guess that Brown’s Classic Autos has been around since 1953. The business originated in Albuquerque, when Walt Brown, Jr.’s father took less than $800 and bought several clunkers to fix up for a used-car lot. Brown was already quite familiar with cars and with be- ing an entrepreneur when he brought the family business to Scottsdale in the early 2000s after his father’s death. As a boy, he had worked at the business and at 16, he opened his own upholstery business with a $10,000 loan from Dad. Just before Brown graduated from high school, he sold his upholstery business for $92,000. With that kind of a gift for growing an enterprise, it’s no surprise that he’s expanded Brown’s Classic Autos considerably since taking it over. The first location here had 2,000 square feet; today, the company operates out of a beautiful, modern 40,000-square-foot facility where coveted classic vehicles are acquired, restored, sold and serviced. Eight master technicians ensure that all vehicles sold and serviced are in ideal condi- tion. In the beginning in Scottsdale, Brown said, “we’d have be- tween three and six cars on the lot. Today, we have about 50 cars here at a time.” He credits National Bank of Arizona and his banker, Mary Collum, for helping facilitate that growth. This year, Brown expects to sell between 150 and 200 auto- mobiles, some to buyers across the U.S. and the world. As an NB|AZ client, “I’ve learned what a banking relation- ship does for you,” said Brown, who also owns a commercial real estate company. “We think of NB|AZ as our business partner and we simply wouldn’t be here without that strategic partnership. They’ve taught us how to save money and time and become more efficient.” Because the business has access to the capital resources it needs, “we don’t have to worry about waiting for financing. We’re seamless now, thanks to NB|AZ.” B RANCHING OUT It’s fitting that Les Blake is in the nursery business, because growth defines his company, Moon Valley Nurseries, in every sense of the word. “We specialize in growing large trees,” said Blake, who was born and raised in Phoenix as a third- generation Arizonan. He established the nursery in 1996 with just $3,000 that he had earned from operating pumpkin and Christmas tree lots. “One of the things that differentiates Moon Valley Nurseries from our competitors is the size and quality of the trees we sell,” he said. “And, we plant those trees for our customers as well and guarantee that they’ll thrive.” The company also is known for its shrubs, vines, ground cover and succulents. NB|AZ Celebrates Successful Arizona Businesses by Telling Their Stories Buddy Stubbs Harley Davidson Frank Stubbs, Buddy Stubbs (owner) and Jack Stubbs Brown’s Classic Autos Walt Brown, Jr, Owner; Mary Collum, Banker 18 www.azbankers.org