Pub. 5 2015 Issue 2

Jan Anderson, CFSA jan.anderson2@comcast.net 533 W. Guadalupe Rd., #2061 • Mesa, AZ 85210 • 480.633.9179 7151 Wright Terrace • Niles, IL 60714 • 847.983.8232 Whether your needs include financial/operational, regulatory compliance, or trust audits, or a compliance training partner, we are your solution! WeAre YourSolution! In the 19 years since Moon Valley Nurseries first opened, the company has expanded from its original retail location at 7th Street and Thunderbird in Phoenix to 23 retail locations in Arizona, California, Nevada and Texas. By the end of 2015, three more retail locations will have opened. In addition, the company owns more than 2,000 acres of farmland in Califor- nia and Arizona where Moon Valley Nurseries’ inventory is grown. “We then sell that inventory to our own retail stores,” Blake said. “This gives us a competitive cost advantage.” He and his chief financial officer, Eugene Ruiz, expect retail sales to ap- proach $125 million next year. “We like to think of ourselves as farmers, retailers and landscapers all at the same time,” Blake said. Moon Valley Nurseries’ relationship with National Bank of Arizona has been helpful to the operation of the business, Blake and Ruiz said. “NB|AZ has put together an aggressive capital equipment financing program for us,” Ruiz said. “And, the bank has arranged for us to take advantage of a large commercial credit card program that provides nice cash flow benefits and great rewards.” Blake emphasizes the friendliness of the banking relationship. “It’s very easy to do business with NB|AZ,” he said. “It’s a great bank to work with.” REVVING UP FOR GROWTH A former motorcycle racer and movie stuntman but forever a motorcycle enthusiast, Buddy Stubbs is only a year away from celebrating 50 years as a Harley-Davidson dealer in Phoenix. Buddy Stubbs Harley-Davidson opened in 1966 in what was then the heart of Phoenix. In 1985, the Harley-Davidson cor- porate office asked Stubbs to take over a struggling dealership on Cave Creek Road in north Phoenix. “I was able to turn that place around,” Stubbs said. Shortly after acquiring the Cave Creek Road facility, it became the company’s flagship location and the original location closed. In 2005, he opened the largest motorcycle museum in the Southwest at the expanded flagship location, with 128 motor- cycles showcasing 35 different manufacturers in 11 countries. He has another dealership location in Anthem in far north Phoenix and a boutique facility in the town of Cave Creek. Stubbs’ two sons, Frank and Jack, are the managers of the business. “Family-owned and -operated Harley-Davidson dealerships are becoming rare,” Stubbs said. “This gives us an advantage by allowing us to connect more closely with our customers.” Generational management of the dealership is important to Phillip McKee, too, the dealership’s marketing director who joined the team in 2011. “The fact that it’s a family-run business is a big draw for me,” said McKee, who’s also a motorcycle rider. Since 2010, Stubbs has banked with National Bank of Ari- zona. NB|AZ and commercial banker Rob Maver were able to refinance a loan from another bank that predated Stubbs’ relationship with NB|AZ and carried a significant prepay- ment penalty. “We were able to tailor a much less expensive loan product that’s better suited to his needs,” Maver said. w Moon Valley Nursery Kevin Cooney, Banker; Les Blake, Owner; Eugene Ruiz, CFO 19 SPRING 2015