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Brian Plummer proudly employs 28 humans and one robot.
His company, Tri-State Sales, Inc., started out as a fastener distributor selling nuts, bolts, and screws. In 2008, he turned the business into a manufacturer making custom specialty fasteners, valves, “anything anyone wants to give us,” Brian says.
Brian has worked closely with lender Chris Wilson since 1997, following him from bank to bank.
“[Chris] has taken care of us over the years,” Brian explains.
But when Chris brought Tri-States Sales over to Blue Sky Bank, Brian noticed a difference — this bank was more flexible than the others he’d worked with.
“At Blue Sky, they allowed Chris to do some more and help us more, keep us growing,” Brian says.
Brian now works with lender Barry Gibson in addition to Chris. This Blue Sky Bank team worked closely with Tri-States Sales to acquire the funding necessary when the company made the transition to manufacturing. They worked together on several Commercial Real Estate Loans, first in 2006 when Tri-States Sales purchased its first building, and then bought another three years later.
Tri-States Sales also worked with Blue Sky Bank on a Business Acquisition loan in 2014, when the company purchased another company, Tulsa Industrial Products, to expand its offerings.
“They’ve stayed with us and kept making it happen for us,” Brian says of Blue Sky Bank’s role in his company’s growth.
But it was a recent Equipment Financing Loan from Blue Sky Bank that Brian says got the attention of people all across Oklahoma.
Tri-States Sales was able to purchase cutting-edge machinery — essentially, a pair of two CNC machines operated by a robot.
As soon as the robot and machinery arrived, both Chris and Barry from Blue Sky Bank came out to the Claremore facility to see it.
“We showed it off,” Brian says. “We had several customers from all around come in and see how it works, too. Surprisingly, there’s not that much robotic [manufacturing technology] in Oklahoma.”
Tri-States Sales will celebrate 23 years of business in May 2020. They’ve grown rapidly from distribution and supply to robotic manufacturing. The company has relied on its lending team at Blue Sky Bank for every stage of business growth. The difference, Brian says, is that Blue Sky Bank has a can-do attitude for entrepreneurs.
“When we bring them an idea, they ask questions, we explain it, and then they make it happen,” Brian explains. “They just make stuff happen for us. They take the stress out of it.”
Tri-States Sales has no plans to stay still in the future.
Brian says the company will continue to pursue the latest tools and latest machines, knowing Blue Sky Bank will help them stay at the forefront of technology offerings with small business loans.
The manufacturing side also benefits the company’s original focus, the nuts-and-bolts business.
“That’s two different sides that we can help customers with,” Brian says. “We take pride in everything we do.”
Do you want to work with a lending team that is constantly keeping you at the cutting-edge, equipped with the latest technology in your industry?
Contact Blue Sky Bank today to see how we can help take your company to the next level — and we won’t stop there.
