If it seems this year like you are watching the movie “Groundhog Day” on an endless loop rather than experiencing the festive December holiday season, rest assured you are not alone. The term “unprecedented” no longer seems adequate to describe the times we are in. From the ongoing disruption and human toll of this nearly two-year-old pandemic to the multiple challenges of rising inflation, the “Great Resignation,” ongoing social unrest, and lingering economic uncertainty, 2021 has truly been a year of ups and downs.

But as we turn the page to 2022, I’m feeling more hopeful— and thankful—than ever before.

In the spirit of the season, I’d like to share some of the things I’m thankful for today.

Growing to Serve You Better

At ORMS, 2021 was another year of record business growth. Demand for our services continues to rise as banks and credit unions increasingly recognize and appreciate the need for solid, proven risk management and collateral valuation services to support their growing commercial lending programs. We were honored to welcome several major bank customers and SBA lenders into the ORMS family. I am truly grateful for the word-of-mouth referrals from our current clients, and the trust our new clients have chosen to place in the ORMS team.

Our 2020 acquisition of another firm’s outsourced risk management business continued to bear fruit this year, and we’ve truly enjoyed getting to know the new relationships we gained as a result of that transaction.

Our team has also grown – and grown closer – over these past couple of years. Despite working remotely at various times during the pandemic, we have stuck together, supported each other, and became more of a “family” than ever before.

Relationships are at the Core of All We Do

This year, I’ve thought a lot about the power of relationships. Relationships are the heart of all we do at ORMS. We are not a billion-dollar consulting or technology firm with thousands of people on staff. We can’t leverage the scale to provide low-cost services like some of the big national firms. What we do offer is customized, one-on-one service designed to meet our client’s unique and individualized needs.

That’s why I got into the risk management profession in the first place: to support lenders as they assist small businesses in achieving all their goals and dreams. As businesses have faced one challenge after another, banks and credit unions have provided the financing to keep them solvent while preserving jobs for millions of workers and families. I am so proud of the small part that ORMS has played in getting commercial financing into the hands of those business owners that need it most. We are thankful to be able to continue helping small businesses achieve the American dream by facilitating the environmental process for their loans and their lenders.

I’m so thankful for our incredible ORMS team that is second to none. These folks are true professionals, dedicated to their craft, and even better people and family members. I am lucky to call them my colleagues, and friends.

Finally, I’m so grateful for you – our amazing clients and business partners—and for your ongoing loyalty and support. We owe all our success to you. Thank you.

From all of us here at ORMS, I wish you and your family a wonderful Holiday Season and a New Year filled with health, peace, and prosperity.

Best wishes,

Derek