When Creative Metal Products came to Comerica Bank about five years ago, it came prepared. The company had worked hard to get its financial situation in a strong place so it would be ready to pursue business loans. But when they went to other lenders, they were often an afterthought. Creative Metal Products walked in our doors ready for a challenging lending process. It found a friendly, genuine relationship that fostered honesty and collaboration.

This first impression set Creative Metal Products on a path to sustained innovation and business growth. It came to Comerica Bank looking for a loan to purchase equipment. But we took a closer look at their business, took the time to analyze their industry, and identified a key opportunity.

Driving progress through lending

Creative Metal Products was spending heavily on its supply chain, limiting its ability to invest in the rest of the business. We suggested the company use a loan to purchase bulk inventory. The effort we put into the relationship created trust with Creative Metal Products. Because we took the company’s loan application so seriously, despite its small size, it was clear we cared about supporting its best interests.

Creative Metal Products took our advice and made a major inventory purchase. The stability in the supply chain ended up freeing resources across the business. Over time, the control and predictability in the supply chain allowed the business to invest in the rest of the organization. Before long, it was moving workers from hourly to salaried roles, purchasing new equipment and taking advantage of opportunities for process efficiency gains.