IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Opus Bank (“Opus”) (Nasdaq:OPB) announced today the national expansion of its Healthcare Banking division, which provides debt financing and banking solutions to hospitals, skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, hospice centers, home health agencies, outpatient care centers, healthcare systems, healthcare providers, practitioners, professionals, medical technology companies, laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, healthcare-related manufacturing companies, and service providers to those in the healthcare industry. Opus’ healthcare lending programs include cash flow loans for acquisitions and refinancing, asset-based healthcare loans, healthcare-related real estate debt financing, working capital lines of credit, bridge loans, and syndication of multi-lender facilities. Opus’ Healthcare Banking division is comprised of its Healthcare Provider Group and its Healthcare Practice Group.
Additionally, Opus announced today that Gregory M. Ratliff and Frank J. Balkum have joined Opus as Senior Managing Directors of Healthcare Banking. Mr. Ratliff joins Opus’ Healthcare Provider Group, headed by Donika Schnell, Senior Managing Director, and will focus on the further expansion of client relationships with, and providing debt financing and banking solutions to, large providers across all healthcare sectors including, but not limited to, hospital operators, skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation services, behavioral health providers, outsourced clinical services, specialty pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors, medical device manufacturers and distributors, and ancillary service providers. Mr. Balkum joins Opus’ Healthcare Practice Group, headed by Evan Barker, Senior Managing Director, and will focus on expanding Opus’ client relationships and providing debt financing and banking solutions to meet the particular needs of dental, medical, veterinary, and ophthalmology healthcare professionals and group practices for acquisitions and expansions, partner buy-ins and buy-outs, equipment financing, and facilities acquisitions, improvements, and relocations.
Michael Allison, Co-President, President of the Commercial Bank stated, “While Opus has provided many of these products, services, and solutions to its West Coast-based clients through a unique relationship-based approach of financially partnering with and advising its clients, the additions of Greg, based in Nashville, Tennessee, and Frank, based in Tampa, Florida, complement our current West Coast-based Healthcare Banking team and enable Opus to better provide banking services to healthcare providers, practices, professionals, organizations, manufacturers, and investors nationwide.” Mr. Allison added, “This expansion continues the evolution and maturation of Opus to becoming the premier financial institution for healthcare banking clients seeking tailored, relationship-based products, services, and solutions as they expand and grow.”
Mr. Ratliff, a 15-year banking veteran, joins Opus Bank most recently from Regions Bank, where he served as Managing Director, Relationship Manager of Corporate Healthcare, located in Nashville, TN. While at Regions Bank, Mr. Ratliff oversaw and managed an $850 million corporate healthcare portfolio. From 2009 to 2010, Mr. Ratliff served as Senior Vice President, Chief Credit Officer of the Healthcare Division for US Bank, where he was responsible for a $5 billion healthcare portfolio that spanned numerous sectors, including hospitals, medical device manufacturers and distributors, pharmaceutical manufacturers, managed care organization, senior housing, and ancillary service providers. From 1999 to 2009, Mr. Ratliff served as Director of Corporate and Investment Banking at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, where he led a group of ten portfolio managers responsible for a $7.2 billion healthcare-focused portfolio. Mr. Ratliff holds a bachelor’s of business administration degree in banking and finance from the University of Mississippi and a master’s of business administration with a concentration in finance from the University of Mississippi.
Mr. Balkum, a 25-year finance veteran, joins Opus Bank most recently from Rx Financial Corp., where he served as CEO and President. While at Rx Financial Corp., Mr. Balkum focused on building a national commercial funding organization that provides debt financing for dental and medical practices. From 1996 to 2002, Mr. Balkum served as Senior Vice President for Coffman Capital, Inc., where he handled the contractual negotiation and implementation of banking, leasing, and investment relationships to facilitate funding for clients. From 1989 to 1996, Mr. Balkum served as CEO and President of F. J. Balkum, Private Investment Banking, where he facilitated more than $50 million in dental and medical practice financing. Throughout his banking career, Mr. Balkum has focused on contractual negotiation, establishing commercial funding, and dental and medical financing. Mr. Balkum is a member of the Practice Valuation Study Group, a national association of lenders, brokers, and appraisers, and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and events.
About Opus Bank
Opus Bank is an FDIC insured California-chartered commercial bank with over $4.0 billion of total assets, $3.2 billion of total loans, and $3.0 billion in total deposits as of March 31, 2014. Opus Bank provides high-value, relationship-based banking products, services, and solutions to its clients through its Retail Bank, Commercial Bank, Merchant Bank, and Correspondent Bank. Opus Bank offers a suite of treasury and cash management and depository solutions and a wide range of loan products, including commercial business, healthcare, technology, multifamily residential, commercial real estate, and structured finance, and is an SBA preferred lender. Opus Bank is an Equal Housing Lender. Opus Bank operates 60 banking offices, including two in the Phoenix metropolitan area of Arizona, 34 in California and 24 in the Seattle/Puget Sound region of Washington. For additional information about Opus Bank, please visit our website: www.opusbank.com. To learn more about how Opus Bank is backing businesses, please visit: www.opusbank.com/spotlight.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements.” These forward-looking statements include information, which is subject to change and subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. The forward-looking information presented in this press release is not a guarantee of future events, and actual events may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking information contained in this press release. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “intend” or “expect” or variations thereon or similar terminology. All such statements speak only as of the date made, and Opus Bank undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
