In 2012, Martin Schwartz, president of Vehicles for Change (VFC), was suddenly without a bank to help the organization finance cars for low-income individuals who need them to get to work and sustain their families.

In the midst of shopping around for banks, Dave Marks, Vice President of Finance & Administration for BrightFocus Foundation saw that Sandy Spring Bank had the key ingredients they were looking for — superior customer service, a reliable approach, and the accessibility of speaking to representatives at any given time.

A little over a decade ago, Monica Escalante, Chief Financial Officer of Montgomery Hospice, made the decision to open an account at Sandy Spring Bank, and she never looked back. p>When they first started working with Sandy Spring Bank, Montgomery Hospice wasn’t as big as they are now and didn’t serve as many patients. Sandy Spring Bank worked with them and took the time to understand and meet their needs. “Sometimes you really need advice, such as the need for opening a separate account. They will suggest ideas and weigh the pros and cons,” stated Escalante. “We feel like we are not just another client…it feels as if we are the ONLY client.”

Before John Paukstis became President and CEO for Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland in 2006, Sandy Spring Bank had already been the organization’s banking partner. He could tell immediately that Sandy Spring Bank had a mission to support local nonprofits and be an advocate for the community.

Since 1981, Education Week has been the cornerstone national resource for K-12 news and information with the mission to make sure that every child in this country has access to a high-quality education. When Michele Givens joined the organization in 2001 as General Manager, she understood the multiple streams of revenue that Education Week generates. In 2016, when she was appointed President and CEO, she knew that they needed a bank to understand their diverse financial needs.

It was just over 10 years ago, in October 2010, that Axiom Resource Management selected Sandy Spring Bank. How does Axiom Senior Vice President of Finance Tekle Afeworki rate the choice? “The calendar tells the story. Sandy Spring Bank has been our bank for a decade,” he said. “In those years, we had been approached many times by other banks, but I can tell you those have been fairly short conversations.”

After retiring from a 30-year career as a US Navy officer, Johnny Walker was ready to apply his expertise in the private sector and start his own business.

Founded a little over 12 years ago, Illinois-based Kranze Technology Solutions designs and builds high-tech digital equipment, primarily for use by the U.S. military. For the first couple of years, the company operated using a fairly modest line of credit extended to it by the major national bank with which it was then working.

Before choosing Sandy Spring Bank a little over five years ago, Quadrant Inc. had worked with “about six different banks,” says Quadrant CEO and founder Cait Vargas-Cissel. “We tried lots of different banks and, lots of different kinds of banks, but we never found one that felt like a partner until we came to Sandy Spring Bank.”

When Bruce E. Lansdowne founded Trinity Technology Partners in 2008, he knew he could grow the business on a fast track but finding the right banking partner to help fuel that growth was a critical piece of the puzzle. Bottom line: Lansdowne wanted a bank that was big enough to fulfill all of Trinity’s needs but small enough that he could have a direct relationship with the decision makers at his bank.