More than 75 clients trusted Luke Fraser with their finances last year.
The senior vice president of commercial loans and business development manager for Springfield First Community Bank has developed and managed portfolios for his commercial banking clients totaling more than $65 million.
Fraser believes his services not only provide the practical use for which they are intended, but also are a helping hand.
“My clients not only look to me for capital, but also for advice and guidance,” he says. “There are many times where a client may be looking at a new project, expansion or a new product line, and call me not to discuss financing, but rather, feasibility.”
Fraser has assisted clients in growing small, local businesses into large regional companies, even some to a national presence. He also assists investors looking to him to grow their real estate holdings.
“I have helped clients acquire and sell properties locally and nationally,” he says. “As an adviser, I have helped these clients navigate sometimes very complex multimillion-dollar real estate transactions with properties located not only in Springfield, but also across the United States.”
Listening and responding to the individual needs of every client is a valuable tool Fraser has picked up in his time as a commercial banker.
“Not every business is the same, and more often than not, a custom banking arrangement needs to be crafted to fit their individual needs,” he says.
Assessing those needs sometimes means advising a client not to move forward with a deal.
“Sometimes that can be very hard,” he says. “However, most often, that advice can be invaluable to a client or business if it avoids a costly mistake. I have had clients look back and say that my opinion kept them from doing something that would have cost them their business.”
Fraser, a member of the Missouri Bankers Association, Missouri Young Bankers, Ozark Bankers Association and the Springfield Apartment & Housing Association, participates in networking events, conferences and continuing education courses to remain current on regulatory changes in the industry.
“This involvement helps me serve the bank and my clients as effectively as possible,” he says.
Fraser also is on the executive board for Habitat for Humanity of Springfield and serves on the Habitat Land Acquisition Committee, Construction Committee and is the co-chairman of the Resource Development Committee.
“Through these various positions I help Habitat for Humanity in assisting low-income individuals realize their dream of home ownership,” he says. “Hopefully, this work will help eliminate the cycle of poverty in our community.”
Fraser also is an active member of the Sunrise Rotary Club, where he’s served on the board of directors the past five years and currently is the Membership Development Committee chairman and 2016-17 treasurer-elect. He’s also a member of the Network for Young Professionals through the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce.
