When it comes to success, Joseph Hines, Ph.D., is an expert. The alumnus of the U.S. Naval Academy and Naval Post Graduate School is a renowned leadership thought leader and inspirational expert facilitator with more than 30 years of experience in leading and guiding men and women in the military, public, and private sectors, and nonprofit and faith-based organizations.
Developing and coaching leaders is Hines’ passion, which is why he established Success Business Inc. (SBI), a human capital consulting firm with expertise in organizational development, training, and coaching in 2003. The Black- and veteran-owned business, based in Columbia, Maryland, specializes in helping clients create extraordinary, measurable success in leadership, management, integrity, diversity, program evaluation, strategic and tactical planning, and life coaching.
In 2023, for the first time in his firm’s 20-year history, Hines needed to access funding outside the business’ existing resources to secure government contract financing. He was introduced to Fulton Bank by his accounting firm.
Fulton was preparing to launch a new Diverse Business Banking program designed to meet the unique needs of minority, women, veteran, and LGBTQ business owners. He was matched with one of Fulton’s diverse business advocates, bankers who have earned a special certification to provide one-on-one mentorship, educational resources, and custom solutions to meet the needs of diverse business owners.
As a strong candidate with a proven business model and successful track record, Hines qualified for a $250,000 line of credit through the program, which he used to secure the government contract financing as hoped. In fact, he was the first client to receive that amount of funding through the Diverse Business Banking program.
“Fulton Bank recognized the success and potential of my business even though I wasn’t a member of the bank at the time,” Hines said. “Today, I’ve moved all of my business banking to Fulton and established myself as a trustworthy borrower for the future. Not only did they value me as a small business owner, they also recognized the value in government contract funding that my previous bank did not.”
“Dr. Hines and Success Business Inc. are focused on helping their customers work to their full potential,” said Fulton Bank Commercial Relationship Manager Tiana Wells-Lawson. “It is truly gratifying to support this company and the work they do to fuel others’ success and strengthen organizations and communities.”
“At Fulton, we’re committed to making financing and banking products more accessible to groups that, historically, have been underserved,” said Joel Barnett, director of commercial affinity banking at Fulton Bank. “Helping Dr. Hines take Success Business Inc. to the next level was a smart and easy decision for Fulton Bank and we look forward to a long partnership with him.”
Products and services available through Diverse Business Banking include:
- Flexible approval criteria for loans and lines of credit
- Business banking product bundles
- SBA (Small Business Administration) products
- Merchant services
- Payroll and cash management services
“We’re building on the work Fulton Bank has long done as a trusted advisor for our customers,” Barnett said. “In addition to serving diverse businesses, we want to strengthen relationships with community organizations so we can connect diverse businesses with the network and resources they need to succeed.”
More information – including links to educational resources and networking opportunities – is available on Fulton Bank’s Diverse Business Banking website.
Fulton Bank offers a broad array of products and services at more than 200 financial centers across Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Fulton Financial Corporation, a $27 billion financial services holding company. Fulton Bank, N.A., Member FDIC. Loans are subject to credit approval.
