June 2022 - SouthStar Bank, S.S.B.

by SouthStar BankJune 13, 2022

Employee Spotlight- Jeff Harris

Jeff Harris, Senior Vice President of Lending/Branch Executive| SouthStar Bank Kerrville A member of the SouthStar Bank family, Jeff Harris works at the Kerrville Branch as SVP and Branch Executive. He enjoys helping people and seeing them obtain their goal of home ownership. Jeff prides himself on the relationships he builds with his clients. While they start as regular bank customers, by the end of the lending process, Jeff views everyone as a friend. Before joining the banking industry, Jeff served in the United States Marine Corp. for six years, achieving the rank of Sergeant. Jeff has a passion for helping his fellow veterans achieve their financial goals. Helping a veteran buy their forever home is Jeff’s favorite part of his job. In the Kerrville community, Jeff holds leadership roles with multiple organizations that work to help veterans. This list includes his appointment by the County Judge to the County Veterans Advisory Council, Together with Hill Country Veterans and The Hill Country Gala. Beyond his work with local veterans, Jeff is also the current President of the Rotary Club of Kerrville, Vice President of the Hill Country Crisis Council, Commissioner with the city’s Planning & Zoning Committee, and a Deacon at First Presbyterian Church. Marrying his wife is Jeff’s highest personal achievement. Together they enjoy fishing and traveling. They have a tradition of going to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, every year to celebrate their anniversary. He hopes to one-day cross cage diving with Great White Sharks off his bucket list while in Mexico. If Jeff could meet anyone in the world, dead or alive, he would go back to his Marine Corps. past and meet General Lewis “Chesty” Puller. Jeff Harris NMLS# 1678994

Customer Spotlight

by SouthStar BankJune 9, 2022

Customer Spotlight- Oil Field Products International Inc.

Oil Field Products International Inc. (OPI) is a family and women-owned company established by Paul Tompkins and wife, Marilyn Tompkins, in 1997. Paul has been in the manufacturing business for over 40 years. OPI primarily manufactures tools to grab and turn pipe in the oilfield. Paul was able to secure a US Patent for his drill pipe spinner tool which effectively grabs and spins pipe – creating a built-in cheater bar solution previously unavailable. 30 OPI spinners now span the globe, and they also create the dies to grab pipe in-house. Paul and Marilyn were previously renting space in the Kyle area near Austin, TX. With the rising cost of space, the duo grew increasingly interested in owning their own property. Through a recommendation from a neighboring business and friend, Paul was connected with SVP of Lending, Gary Mobbs. When they identified the property, Paul recognized it was slightly out of the norm and discussed the potential with Gary in detail. The structure included a roof and slab, but no existing sides, and sat on a 2-acre piece of land previously used for watermelon farming. A preferred SBA lender, SouthStar Bank was able to structure an SBA 7a loan to meet the needs of OPI including working capital, property purchase and construction to retrofit the building. “Gary is a banker, but he offers so much more,” says Paul. “I have found good bankers have the ability to draw upon their broad experience in working with many businesses. Gary is able to take that knowledge and share it with other SouthStar Bank customers, like me. He provided valuable information to help me make a solid business decision.” During the move, OPI was able to move their large equipment into the building before constructing the walls and retrofitting it to their needs. OPI now operates out of the new climate-controlled facility with plans to expand, paying only a quarter of what they were previously committing to rent each month. The move came at an ideal time and OPI continues to thrive. “I could not have done it without SouthStar Bank and obtaining an SBA loan,” says Paul. He and Marilyn hope to expand into additional industries like the pipeline and the HDD markets. A family-run business, Paul and Marilyn make the day-to-day operational decisions, son Paul Jr., leads machining operations, and daughter, Michelle, assists with the website and marketing. The Tompkins have 4 granddaughters ages 9 to 16 who they hope will share their passion for engineering and developing new solutions. SouthStar Bank thanks the Tompkins for their valued business and we wish you ongoing success! CONTACTS: Oil Field Products International Inc. (OPI) Paul and Marilyn Tompkins, Owners 281.482.0827 | sales@oilfield-products.com 9587 N Highway 80 | Leesville, Texas 78122 SouthStar Bank Gary Mobbs, SVP/Area Manager, NMLS# 586586 p: 830.672.1081 x1605 | m: 830.857.1418 | gary.mobbs@southstarbank.com