Here's to you

Celebrating your drive and passion

This month, we recognize business owners like Christopher Kendzierski who place their trust in us to help make their dreams come to life.

Transcript

Audio Description: The sound of grass rustling in the wind fades in.

Visual Description: The Truist logo appears and fades out on a purple background.

Christopher Kendzierski is in a field at sundown.

Christopher: If there's one thing you need to know about me, it is I refuse to fail.

Visual Description: Kendzierski walks through the field, running his hands through reeds as he walks.

On-Screen Text: Seeing big vision from a small business. A Truist success story.

Christopher: I’m a licensed landscape architect, and being so has taught me to persevere through many of life's adversities.

Audio Description: Uplifting music begins to play.

Visual Description: Kendzierski goes through files, making notes on several. He sits back and sighs and pushes his glasses to his forehead with a concerned look on his face.

Christopher: I was asked to begin a landscape division at a company that unfortunately had to shut down. I had, in my division, a $2 million backlog, and at that time, approximately 19 employees.

Visual Description: Kendzierski stands in front of his business.

Christopher: Because I'm not a person that likes to see failure, I decided at that time to start my own business.

Visual Description: Kendzierski walks into the front door of a business and then back out.

Christopher: After launching Global World Design, we had money in hand ready to do business with a bank. After hours of research and visiting, we could not find somebody that would want to participate with Global World Design at all.

Visual Description: Kendzierski is interviewed.

Christopher: I remember walking out of one bank feeling very, very small.

Visual Description: Kendzierski walks up to a Truist branch.

Christopher: And then a friend of mine told me about Truist.

Visual Description: Kendzierski sits in a meeting with a Truist advisor. The two discuss and smile.

Christopher: Managing a division and running a business are two

separate things, so I really didn't know exactly what I needed. My branch leader, Kelly, and her team don't see me as just another small business. They see me as a person and a company in need of something.

Visual Description: A Global World Design-branded truck drives on the highway.

Christopher: How are you going to do your payroll? Do you need a savings account?

Visual Description: Kendzierski drives the truck wearing a Global World Design sweatshirt.

Christopher: Should we open up a credit card? These are all the conversations I was longing for, to have with someone.

Visual Description: Kendzierski is interviewed.

Christopher: Kelly understood that partnership was critical and necessary to provide the path to move forward.

Visual Description: Kendzierski gets out of his truck at Global World Design. He sits next to one of his employees and makes suggestions about the printed-out design of a garden in front of them.

Christopher: I have a vision for this company, and having a partnership that understands that vision and gets just as excited about it, that's what it comes down to.

Visual Description: Kendzierski’s Truist advisor hands him a manual. He nods and smiles.

Visual Description: Kendzierski collects flowers from the bed of his truck and carries them towards a home with extensive outdoor design.

Christopher: When I build a project for our customers, every time they step out onto that project, they have to think about us.

Visual Description: Kendzierski is interviewed.

Christopher: My partnership with Truist has allowed me to create environments for them that truly have a profound positive impact on the quality of their daily life.

Visual Description: Kendzierski prunes a tree, then steps back and admires a backyard complete with a pool and a fountain and smiles.

Christopher: I see our partnership with Truist Bank continuing for a very, very long time.

On-Screen Text: Leaders in banking. Unwavering in care. Truist.

Visual Description: Truist logo

Audio Description: Uplifting music fades out.

Knowledge + Care

Small Business Client Success Story: Global World Design

Seeing big vision from a small business

Christopher Kendzierski, president of Global World Design in Pennsauken, N.J., feels like he's been in the landscape industry since he was just 6, when he was first asking his dad if he could push the lawnmower.

"I know nothing else," he says. "I've done it since I've been knee-high to a grasshopper."

His early training paid off when he was able to build a successful landscape architecture and design division for a larger company, growing it to 19 employees. When he learned the parent company was shutting down, he felt a responsibility to his employees and the $2 million in client projects on the books.

"I sat down with my own family to say, 'I've got 19 people depending on me,'" Christopher says. "There were people that I was working for who would've lost a tremendous amount of money if these projects weren't completed. I did not want people to attach my name to something that was a failure."

That's when Chris decided to start his own business, Global World Design, so that he could keep his employees and complete the projects for his clients.

The search for a banking partner

Starting a business from scratch came with challenges. With contracts to fulfill and a workforce to maintain, Christopher knew that banking support was critical to keep operations going. He started searching for a banking partner that could help him.

"I hunted around for a long time, still trying to get the business moving with money and checks in hand, and I had no place to put it," Christopher says.

He approached several banks, asking fundamental questions about setting up operating accounts and managing finances, but received no follow-up or offers of help. His experience made him feel dismissed, as if his business wasn't significant enough for their attention.

"I went from bank to bank," Christopher says. "No one seemed to want to help or even call me back. It was discouraging. I remember walking out of one bank feeling very, very small."

The turning point: meeting with Truist

A friend suggested Christopher reach out to Truist. He met with Branch Leader Kelly Madrack in Moorestown, N.J., which turned out to be a pivotal moment for his business.

"It's probably the best phone call I've made for my business," he says. "Kelly and her team don't see me as just another small business. They see me as a person and a company in need of something."

Kelly says Christopher came in looking for more than just solutions—he needed someone who understood his vision. "He was looking for somebody that he could build a relationship with and help deepen his knowledge of what banking should be and how business could be," says Kelly. "We just spent time together. He had my cell phone number and email, and he could contact me anytime. And we just went from there."

In the beginning, Kelly helped him understand how to use his operating accounts, talked to him about building credit for his business, and offered advice on securing the equipment he needed to start his business. But their relationship went beyond banking basics.

"One of the things I love doing with all my business clients is making sure that they know that I'm not just here to talk about credit cards or anything like that; I'm here to make sure that they really understand all aspects of business," says Kelly.

Kelly and her team were proactive, anticipating potential hurdles and guiding Christopher through solutions that kept his business on track. Whether it was dealing with cash flow issues from delayed payments or managing the complexities of payroll, Truist helped Christopher navigate the early stages of his business.

"Knowing that you have a professional you can talk to who knows your name, knows what your business is, knows what your goals are, and is going to help you accomplish them, that's not something you find at many banks," says Christopher. He says the attitude that Truist brought to the relationship is exactly what his company works so hard to provide to its clients.

"At Global World Design, no client is too small. Every project, no matter the size, deserves the same level of dedication and excellence. This is the same philosophy that Truist holds—every client is important."

Looking ahead: business growth and continued partnership

The approach has paid dividends so far. In the first year of operations, Christopher has grown his business and his workforce, and he has big plans for the future. He’s proud of the fact that his partnership with Truist has allowed him to create landscapes that have a “profound, positive impact” on the daily lives of his clients, and he envisions Global World Design expanding into new regions, with potential New York and Virginia offices. He's confident that with Truist's continued support, his business will reach new heights.

"I have a vision for this company, and having a partnership that understands that vision and gets just as excited about it, that's what it comes down to," he says. "I see our partnership with Truist continuing for a very, very long time."

We're ready to help put your plans into action.

Whether you’ve got an idea in your head and a dream to bring it to life or you’re already managing an established business, our teammates are eager to support your vision. Make an appointment today for an in-person or virtual meeting or call us at 833-866-5129 to connect with a Small Business consultant. Be sure to visit Truist Small Business and learn more about what can be achieved in 2025 and beyond.

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Here's to you

Small Business Client Success Story: Global World Design

The search for a banking partner

The turning point: meeting with Truist

Looking ahead: business growth and continued partnership

Investment and Insurance Products:

Limited English Proficiency Support:

New York City residents:

Borrowers with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) needing information can use the following resources:

Here's to you

Small Business Client Success Story: Global World Design

The search for a banking partner

The turning point: meeting with Truist

Looking ahead: business growth and continued partnership

Disclosures

Investment and Insurance Products:

Limited English Proficiency Support:

New York City residents:

Borrowers with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) needing information can use the following resources:

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