For many of us, the past three years have been difficult, and it seems that each of those years has presented a new and unique challenge. However, as we begin 2023, something feels different. Before 2023 kicks into high gear, I would like to take a moment to pause and reflect on the events and accomplishments of the past year and share some of the things I’m most thankful for.

A Period of Remarkable Growth

Beginning in early 2021 right through July 2022, ORMS was extremely busy and we grew both with the economy and by welcoming many new clients.

At ORMS, despite the pandemic and volatile economic conditions, we were fortunate that demand for our services continued to grow. Lending institutions of all types and sizes sought out ORMS to help with risk management and collateral valuation in the face of evolving and expanding credit risks.

In early 2020, we purchased the outsourced risk management business of another firm. The acquisition has allowed us to expand our expertise and market reach and included some legacy client relationships. Over the past two years, we have successfully onboarded these new clients, and they have really come to appreciate the difference between ORMS and other firms that offer similar services.

Today, ORMS has become recognized as the best in the business for environmental risk management, and is nationally known as the pre-eminent SBA expert with respect to addressing environmental risks and interpreting the SOP.

We also continued to grow our business organically over the past two years, gaining a couple of major bank customers along with many new SBA lenders via word-of-mouth referrals from our current clients. I am so thankful for the trust these new customers have placed in the ORMS team, especially during these uncertain times.

As the business has grown, so too has our team. Over the past two years, ORMS has onboarded new team members to build our administrative support and expertise in areas like environmental reviews, ordering and reviewing reports, and appraisal reviews. In addition, we have expanded our environmental consultant and contractor partnerships to allow our clients access to more due diligence options, including environmental, appraisal reviews, PCAs, construction risk management, and site visits.

A Business of Caring

As many of you know, I joined the risk management profession to help small businesses achieve their goals and dreams. At no previous point in my career has the crucial role that financial institutions play in supporting businesses been more apparent. Through a range of programs designed to help small businesses—including the PPP and Main Street Lending, the SBA 7a and 504 programs, and conventional lending—banks and credit unions helped businesses keep their doors open and employees on their payroll through the worst days of the crisis. I am proud of the small but critical support role that ORMS has played in providing this much-needed financing, and honored to have worked alongside many of you in this effort.

I’m also thankful for the opportunity I’ve had to work with so many smart, talented and hardworking people, both inside and outside of ORMS. Our industry is filled with some of the most innovative and creative doers, who are driven by a desire to help others while maintaining an unwavering moral compass. I’m proud to be associated with all of you.

None of these successes would be possible without our customers. ORMS’ mission is to serve lenders across the industry, and by far my favorite part of the job is working with our great clients and friends. I am thankful every day for your trust and loyalty, especially when we weren’t able to get together for drinks and meals at in-person conferences and workshops.

When we were able to start attending in-person events once again in late 2021, it allowed us to interact face-to-face with long-time friends, colleagues, and clients. This not only helped reignite these important relationships but also fueled our continued growth. This proved particularly important in the latter half of 2022, as transaction volume decreased quite significantly across the industry due to higher interest rates and uncertainty in the market. Our banked growth over the past few years has allowed ORMS to weather the storm of lower volumes, while maintaining our staff levels for the long term.

Speaking of our ORMS team, when I founded this firm 13 years ago, I never imagined I’d be able to persuade this group of the best and brightest talent to work with me. I am lucky enough to be working with people from many aspects of my life, including past colleagues, friends, and industry experts. All of them are dedicated team members — but even better people. They are the reason ORMS has consistently achieved outstanding results over such a long period of time.

From all of us here at ORMS, I wish you all a wonderful and prosperous 2023.

To your success!