By Erica Fatherston

Special to Independent Newsmedia

Mike Bunker, Discount Golf Cars of Arizona owner, has been in the golf cart and car business for more than 25 years.

When he opened his Sun City West location, 13576 Camino del Sol, the business was running mostly out of his pocket. A trusted referral connected him to his nearby neighbors, a FirstBank branch down the street from his Sun City West retail location.

“Right off the bat, everyone at FirstBank was so friendly and helpful,” said Mr. Bunker. “It was a no-brainer to move all my business and personal banking to them, as I actually look forward to going to the bank.”

It wasn’t long before Bunker looked at FirstBank employees as more than just bankers, as they worked tirelessly to help realize his dreams. One of these bankers, FirstBank Assistant Vice President Oana Constantinescu, was looking into ways to help Mr. Bunker grow his business and suggested establishing a line of credit. This would give Mr. Bunker more flexibility to expand his inventory and pursue other business interests.

“When Oana and her team suggested a line of credit, I knew that she had my best interests in mind,” said Mr. Bunker. “That line of credit allowed me the chance to expand my inventory as well as pursue other business opportunities, allowing me to grow my entire business portfolio.”

This line of credit from FirstBank helped Mr. Bunker grow his sales to more than $2.4 million annually and build a thriving business in the West Valley. With all this success, he was able to open a second location of Discount Golf Cars in Sun City, 10659 W. Grand Ave.

“Mike is not just a number, he’s a friend of the bank,” said Ms. Constantinescu. “Having such a great relationship with Mike allows us to stay up to date on his business and personal needs, and we’re better able to help him make important decisions.”

Discount Golf Cars of Arizona takes pride in offering custom-made and street-legal golf cars. The business features reconditioned E-Z-GO RXV golf carts. It also offers golfers and motorists a choice between gas or electric-powered models.

Visit discountgolfcarsofaz.com.

FirstBank began providing banking services in Colorado in 1963. Today, the bank maintains more than $19 billion in assets and operates more than 115 branch locations across Colorado, Arizona and California. FirstBank offers a variety of checking accounts, savings accounts, home equity loans, mortgages and a full range of commercial banking services, including financing, treasury management and deposit accounts. Since 2000, FirstBank has been recognized as a leader in corporate philanthropy, contributing more than $65 million and thousands of volunteer hours to charitable organizations. The company is also unique in that a large portion of its stock is owned by management and employees, giving all employees a financial stake in the bank’s success through its Employee Stock Ownership Program.Visit efirstbank.com.

Editor’s Note: Ms. Fetherston is with 10 to 1 Public Relations.