NorthStar VETS & Fulton Bank

NorthStar VETS Bring Advanced Emergency and Specialty Veterinary Care to New Jersey.

Challenge

NorthStar VETS (Veterinary Emergency Trauma and Specialty) is one of the largest providers of advanced emergency and specialty veterinary care in the state of New Jersey. But it didn’t start out that way.

In 2000, its founder Dr. Daniel Stobie, DVM, MS, launched his practice as a mobile surgery service. It quickly grew to a fixed location with expanded multiple specialties by board-certified veterinarians with around-the-clock service. But soon the 5,000 square-foot office was too small for the rapidly growing business.

Dr. Stobie envisioned a 24/7 veterinarian practice offering surgeries, emergency, and specialty care for many types of animals in need throughout the entire mid-Atlantic region. Ultimately, he wanted to build a one-stop resource with advanced on-site capabilities, from behavior and cardiology to neurology and emergency/trauma care.

This vision soon became a multi-million-dollar project to create a 30,000+ square foot animal hospital in need of significant financing.

Solution

Dr. Stobie spoke to a number of banks to find the right partner for this endeavor. He needed a lender who could meet his unique needs including a geothermal system and other complexities – in addition to one that would support his expansion goals.

Introduced through a trusted friend in 2009, Dr. Stobie found that partner in Fulton Bank, who supported his vision from day one and remained responsive, committed, and engaged throughout the initial process to expand.

Together, they secured the $7.6 million financing needed to build the state-of-the-art animal hospital in Robbinsville, New Jersey. Construction began in 2009.

Outcome

Today, NorthStar VETS is a nationally recognized specialty referral center with 250 employees and 50 veterinarians housed in a 34,186-square-foot headquarters in Robbinsville and two satellite offices (Maple Shade in Burlington County and Brick in Ocean County). The main facility now includes on-site services like a pathology lab, dental suite, chemotherapy room, blood bank, intensive care unit, infectious disease ward and four state-of-the-art surgical suites.

“Our growth has been fueled by an unwavering commitment to provide unsurpassed medical care to each patient with the most advanced services available and Fulton Bank supported this mission from the very beginning,” said Dr. Daniel Stobie, DVM, MS, Founder, and chief medical officer of NorthStar VETS. “Their attentiveness, support, and superior client management service are just three of the reasons I would never bank with anyone else.”

Recently, Fulton Bank has continued to partner with NorthStar VETS to support additional banking needs, from financing to lines of credit to cash management services.

“Our partnership with NorthStar VETS is one of the best decisions we’ve made in the New Jersey region over the past decade. Dr. Stobie and his team have created a superior organization that focuses on complete customer satisfaction,” said Andy Agger, senior vice president and commercial market executive at Fulton Bank. “From the beginning, we established a relationship of trust that continues to benefit Fulton Bank and NorthStar VETS and we look forward to a continued successful future with them.”