Welcome to Credit Union Conversations! This week, we continue our series exploring the impactful partnerships between credit unions and small business owners. Host Mark Ritter is joined by Josh Green from American Heritage Credit Union and Ted Van Beuren, the visionary behind United Sports in Pennsylvania. This episode delves into the successful collaboration between these two entities, showcasing how a strong credit union partnership can empower businesses to thrive. Discover how American Heritage has supported United Sports' growth, learn about Ted's entrepreneurial journey, and gain valuable insights for aspiring business owners. Today, we're heading to Pennsylvania to spotlight the American Heritage Credit Union—don’t miss it!

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [1:33] Josh shares his role at American Heritage Credit Union
• [3:41] Ted reveals how he saw the need for the sports complex he developed and gives his forecast on soccer in the United States
• [12:20] Ted shares some of the challenges of operations
• [15:00] Josh shares how American Heritage and United Sports partnered
• [18:00] Ted feels that working with the credit union has expedited the services they need at United Sports 
• [19:51] Ted advises prospective entrepreneurs 

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 

• Building strong partnerships is crucial for business success. The importance of cultivating long-term, mutually beneficial relationships between businesses and their financial institutions cannot be overstated. The partnership between United Sports and American Heritage Credit Union exemplifies this, demonstrating how a strong relationship can go beyond simple lending and encompass a range of support, from depository services to community involvement.
• Patience and a long-term vision are required in the entrepreneurial journey. Careful research, planning, and a willingness to adapt to unforeseen challenges are essential. You must demonstrate perseverance and a steadfast commitment to the long-term goal.
• United Sports and American Heritage Credit Union is committed to giving back to the community. This shared value strengthens their partnership and creates a positive impact beyond their core business activities.

RESOURCE LINKS

Mark Ritter - Website

Mark Ritter - LinkedIn

United Sports - Website

American Heritage Credit Union - Website

Josh Green LinkedIn

Ted Van Beuren LinkedIn

Ep 73 - Another Member Success Story with American Heritage FCU-Transcript

Mark Ritter: Hello, this is Mark Ritter, your host of Credit Union Conversations and the CEO of MBF. com. Thank you so much for joining me today as we continue our series spotlighting not What we do here at mbfs and our credit union partners But the impact it makes and the stories behind what we do And how it affects the community So joining me today Are two people Uh, one from American heritage and one is one of their fine [00:01:00] business members, uh, joining us is Josh Green and Ted Van Buren.

Guys, thanks for joining me and taking the time to, uh, tell your story.

Josh Green: Thanks for having us, Mark.

Mark Ritter: All right. So, so first we're going to get started with Josh and then we're going to pull in Ted. So Josh, if our listeners here are in the credit union community. So if you could kind of tell people a little bit about your role in your, your.

background and what you do at American heritage credit union. Uh, I'll, I'll turn it over to you.

Josh Green: Yeah, great. Thanks Mark. And once again, thanks for having me on. Um, so we're all about the relationships and the relationships from our perspective, uh, typically starts with members, financial needs, and, uh, being that we're part of American heritage credit union, and I've been here 10 years.

So, American heritage tries to be a full suite financial institution that helps the needs of all members. Being from a commercial perspective, or even a bead from a consumer perspective. Um, and I've had the pleasure of being at American heritage for 10 years and being in the banking industry for a little over 25 years now.

Um, so again, what a great experience to be a part of American Heritage and to be a part of the United Sports Success.

Mark Ritter: Thank you, Josh. And here at MBFS, we always enjoy working with yourself and the team at American Heritage, of course. So I'm going to flip it over to Ted for a little bit. So Ted, if you could give us, uh, I like to say, give me your origin story, uh, on, on kind of those early days and your business career and tell our people just what, what you're up to today.

And we have, uh, indoor complex and, uh, most recently, uh, an additional, uh, dome, which we installed that provides about 230, 000 square feet of indoor space. Plus we have. 12 outdoor fields, um, and parking for about 1, 450 cars. So, um, our primary focus is on, uh, youth and, uh, adult and senior, uh, sports. Our tagline is never stop playing.

Mark Ritter: And was United first your first entrepreneurial journey or were you in some business ownerships before United Sports?

Ted Van Beuren: Uh, yes, I did.

I have other business experience right out of college back in the eighties. I worked for Dun Bradstreet for about three years, and then I saw an opportunity in the cellular industry back when people were first starting to buy phones, um, and started, uh, two different, uh, mobile phone companies, uh, one down South.

to United Sports.

Mark Ritter: And did you get into the, the sports complex business out of a business need, a passion? Um, uh, what, what led you to look at the, the sports center, the, the youth sports and adult sports marketplace?

Ted Van Beuren: Um, well, I can't say I was one of those passionate People about sports. Yes, I played my kids played.

Passionate about soccer, basketball, lacrosse. It's more like, uh, I just saw there's a void.

Mark Ritter: Well, and the location, if you just looked at a map of the East Coast and said, where should I put a sports complex, uh, it would probably be where, where your facility is located. Just with the intersections of Populations and highways and, uh, and everything and growth that's just going on in that region.

So that, that's, you know, a little bit, a little bit of good planning, good luck, and, uh, the growth of soccer has probably really helped you prosper over the years.

Um, and back in the mid 90s, um, in Chester County, the, uh, they were just opening the new 30 bypass heading west of, uh, the 202 corridor. Um, when I saw the growth in high schools and junior highs, elementary schools, it, it seemed that if you have that demographic population just locally, uh, it would support the, the weekday business.

And then the weekends were, again, we draw from pretty much Virginia and Massachusetts. Um, that, that is, uh, you know, as you said, a very densely populated area.

What do we need to do to compete on the international stage in the Olympics with the tops of, with the best of the best? You have your magic wand, fix all their problems.

Ted Van Beuren: That's a, that's a pretty challenging question.

Mark Ritter: Um, Seems like the women we got there, we, we have, we got the women there.

Ted Van Beuren: Yeah, we were already the, the, uh, You know, the focal point for, for, uh, women's sports in the world.

Um, In, in a fashion that opens the door to them to compete, um, at an earlier age, not only nationally, but internationally. Um, and then, uh, as these players are signing contracts with, you know, teams in England and Germany and others, as far as in, you know, the premier leagues, um, those players then come back to your national team.

And, um, uh, and secondly, you know, the ticket internationally, whether you're in Brazil or France or. You know, country in Africa, the ticket to, to get out of your environment and, and, and succeed, uh, in the soccer world is everything in the United States is not. I mean, so, um, you're, you're, you're competing at such a different level of, of, uh, intensity.

But we definitely are getting better. We are getting better. I think if we were to make the final four in, in, uh, in the next Olympic round, um, that would be an incredible accomplishment.

Constantly By local banks service providers financials services and you name it you get hit up with it What are those top few things? Where you say yes, I want to talk to this person or no not interested.

Um, most recently, um, you know, I, I reached out to what were supposedly [00:13:00] for the top solar companies in the regional market saying we want to double our solar capacity. Um, Sent letters to their, you know, emails, excuse me, and, uh, never got a call back, um, which I thought was kind of strange, but it's, you know, just to be able to better manage your operations, anyone that can bring, uh, a way to our table to, to service things better is, is, is definitely a call I would take, um, you know, secondly, um, I think there's a real void in our market from a quote, marketing standpoint of, uh, helping, you know, small to midsize companies like ours to, uh, better understand the ways to, to grow their business through, you know, the digital.

Uh, to connect with quality and future employees, um, that have a, uh, you know, a good work ethic is, is something I think every company in the world is looking for.

Mark Ritter: So Josh, I'm going to turn to you for a second. Tell me about your connection with, uh, you Ted and United Sports. And kind of how that relationship has grown and what you were able to assist them with.

6 billion of credit union, but, uh, our commercial department is really what I would consider still in our infancy. We've been around for approximately 10 years, and over the last few years, probably 5 or 6, we've really grown to where we are today. With a little bit over a billion dollars in commercial loans and the United Sports relationship, which was a great one before I took over.

So, American Arabs has helped, uh, United sports and been a part of their growth over the last couple of years. Um, and as I was talking initially about our relationship, not only on the lending side. But also on the depository and treasury products. So we try to be a 1 stop shop, a full, uh, institution for all of their financial financial needs.

To help children, um, through music therapy. Um, so again, it's been a reciprocating relationship, not only from uh, the lending side and depository side, but as I mentioned before from our nonprofit and from the community, wherever we can help them, uh, when they're giving back. Uh, there's been a parallel between United Sports and, uh, American Heritage to do that, uh, through all the different endeavors.

So, uh. We love seeing the growth that they have, and we love being part of their growth. And I would hope that from the other side as well, that, you know, anytime they have a need, they can pick up the phone and get to us and we're there to help United Sports in any way we can.

Mark Ritter: And Ted, what has your impression been like over the years of working with a credit union and American Heritage?

How has that relationship evolved from your perspective?

Um, I mean, Bruce Falk came out to the site and visited before we, you know, We're, uh, finalizing our, our, uh, loan documents, um, and, you know, because they take a handle hands on approach, um, it's, it's always been, you know, as Josh just said, is how, you know, how can we help you, uh, grow from where you are? And you know, I, I didn't, you know, when you [00:19:00] try roadmap in expansion, it's, it's, uh, that can be challenging.

Um, but because we've. Build a great relationship over the last eight or nine years. Um, we are now looking at, you know, what are we going to do next? So that's, you know, there's a real trust factor there.

Mark Ritter: Well, that's great. So, so Ted, I'm sure over the years, uh, you you've had a lot of business ventures, different industries, uh, and I'm sure that it seems like there's been some great successes.

And I'm sure there's been some bumps in the road, uh, when, when somebody comes to you and says, I want to own a business, I want to be an entrepreneur, what's that top one or two, uh, life lessons or advice you give people looking, uh, to, to enter, uh, the entrepreneurship world?

Ted Van Beuren: Well, that's, that's, that's a great question.

Because over time, you, you [00:21:00] know, you're the amount of money you'll save just in, in, in, uh, in the design aspect of it, uh, is something you can't change after the fact. So, um, everyone thinks, oh, I've got to start this in, in, uh, here we are, what? December 24. Uh, I need to be open next September. Well, um, maybe it would be better if you opened in September of 2027.

Well, what could you learn in the meantime that could save you a good deal of, uh, capital up front? And, and, uh, I think. I think everyone's always in a rush to get started.

Um,

Uh, that not only included that, but the parking, um, and any other improvements we were considering. Um, that approval time took over five years. So, when we first embarked on this venture in, in the 90s. The whole approval process took less than a year. And when we, you know, [00:23:00] stuck a shelf on the ground on June 13th, 1998, um, our business was open in, in eight months, we'd built a 127, 000 foot building in eight months.

Today, I don't know if you could change the door, your front door in your building. Probably not. No, no. So it's, uh, patience is, is something that I'm still trying to learn.

Mark Ritter: Well, well, Ted, thank you for joining us today and, uh, telling your story and, uh, You know, the, the, the life in your relationship with the credit union to help some of our other credit unions out there, I appreciate your business.

Uh, as we work with American heritage on the back end, so tell people where they could, uh, if they want to learn a little bit more about United sports and what you do, where they could find you on the internet,

Ted Van Beuren: you know, obviously everything's through the web. So our web address is United sports. net. So that's, that's how you find out who we are.

Doing tens of thousands of transactions a year.

Mark Ritter: I would imagine.

Ted Van Beuren: Yeah, so, um, And I, I think at the end of the day too, Um, uh, Going back to your question about what would I tell people, I said everything's about relationship. You know, we, we all think we have The answers. But if you have a great relationship like we do with, with, with Bruce and and, and Josh and others like that, to have that in your, in your corner changes everything.

Mark Ritter: Thank, thank you very much. And, and Josh, uh, where could people, uh, connect with the team from American heritage?

Josh Green: Yeah. Thanks, Mark. Uh, American heritage, see you. org and you'll see the links there for business and all of our lenders and leaders are, uh, easily accessible. You'll see our, uh, our faces on there and our links. So americanheritage, uh, cu. org and then the business link.

So, this is Mark Ritter, CEO of MBFS and host of Credit Union Conversations. Please subscribe to our show. We drop every two weeks, uh, typically on Tuesday, and, uh, so we're on all the major audio platforms. So thank you so much. Have a great day and we will talk to you soon.

Narrator: Thank you for listening to the Credit Union Conversations podcast. Have a question? Visit markritter. com for more information.