Therapy OPS – Using an SBA loan to expand their reach into the community

At this point, Therapy OPS was four years old, and expansion plans had been in the works for some time. “Chris and I both had a passion for doing something different than the outpatient clinics in the area,” said Rachel. “We strive to look at each family and person individually and see how we can help them.” With the way occupational, physical and speech therapy was provided in the Twin Cities, “We thought there were ways to do it differently that would help support not just the child, but the entire family,” adds Chris.

It’s Therapy OPS’ mission to provide high-quality, family-focused interventions to help those in the community reach their highest potential in an effective, efficient, and compassionate manner – and they’re in a position to make it happen. Between Rachel’s experience as a Speech Language Pathologist and Chris’s background in finance, the pair is poised for further success for their Inver Grove Heights clinic.

Once the couple’s first financing opportunity stalled, they connected with a lender at 21st Century Bank.  At 21^st Century Bank, we exist to invest in entrepreneurs and help them grow. When Chris and Rachel approached the bank they had a sound philosophy and a solid plan. It was easy for us to jump on board and help with a small business loan. 

With some strategic choices, 21^st Century Bank secured a Small Business Administration (SBA) 7(a) loan for the Kuenzli’s within just a few weeks – giving them the opportunity to expand their location by building a new gymnasium, and offices, and providing them with the funds to hire more therapists to join their 12-person team, therefore creating more jobs in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.

Chris and Rachel demonstrated strong business acumen, and they’ve proved that they have the ability to continually grow, year after year. It’s really neat, as a business loan officer, to witness all they are doing in the community, and to be a part of that.