Westwind Management Group

It may not be commonplace for a client to use the L-word when talking about their banker, but when it comes to Westwind Management Group‘s relationship with Alliance Association Bank, the love flows both ways.

Colorado-based Westwind Management Group provides residential community association management and accounting services for 90 communities that represent 38,000 homeowners and a growing slate of metropolitan districts.

In March 2016, Westwind decided to explore a new banking relationship. As part of the company’s decision-making process, CEO Brian TerHark and his team traveled to view the lockbox facilities of Alliance Association Bank and another bank in the space. TerHark wanted to understand what happened behind the scenes, but he also wanted to get a feel for the bank’s personality.

“As we walked through this huge, secure building, everybody had on shirts that said ‘Alliance Loves Westwind,’” TerHark says. “You could tell they loved working with Alliance. We always felt that Alliance was authentic in who they were, and we got to see that firsthand. We didn’t anticipate making our decision during that visit, but on the way to lunch, we decided that without question, we were going to partner with Alliance Association Bank.”

Relationships mean a lot to Westwind, which emphasizes personal attention and service with integrity for its own clients. So it was essential for TerHark to align with a bank that holds the same values.

“Over six and a half years, what is consistent is how each Alliance banker is relationship-focused and provides exceptional service,” he says. “Even when our usual person is on PTO or out of the office, someone else steps in and takes care of things. We are always appreciative of that level of service.”

Importantly, Alliance Association Bank backs up strong relationships with stellar solutions, including its proprietary integrated financial management platform, ConnectLive™. “Alliance offered feedback on how we could improve the way we were providing certain services. For example, we really needed to evaluate how we were handling affidavit services and resale transactional services, and with Alliance’s help, we transitioned into an amazing relationship with another party that really positively impacted our ability to serve our clients at a higher level.”

The resulting banking relationship has delivered clear results for Westwind.

“Our company has experienced significant growth in the last six years,” says TerHark. “I think a lot of that is due to our relationship with Alliance Association Bank and the solutions and services they provide.”