VALUES

The Heartland Financial Philosophy

Our business has been built solely on referrals from attorneys, accountants, investors in Heartland-sponsored companies, and from past clients.  We understand that almost all our clients come to us with a pressing need. And we offer the help needed in a responsive, understanding, and caring fashion. What distinguishes Heartland Financial from other investment banking boutiques is that we have built our organization on some important core values.  These permeate every client relationship and transaction.  These are the bases of our philosophy.

Commitment to Process
Many investment bankers and brokers tell their clients, or prospective clients “I know a guy who can…”.  At Heartland Financial, we firmly believe in the process of successful investment banking, rather than in the power of “magical” contacts: that is to produce a great product, get it into enough of the right hands, and diligently pursue a conclusion in a professional manner.  Through this exhaustive, and unglamorous, process we get the best deal done for our client that the market has to offer.

Perseverance
We are very particular in choosing our clients and seek the right chemistry based on mutual advantage. We see the client relationship like a marriage, and we work hard to make it work.  We persevere in finding a solution that works for the client.  Perhaps it isn’t the first one we try; but if a deal or a solution is out there to be done, we will continue to work with the client until we make it happen.

Responsiveness
Every one of our clients is under pressure.  Time is of the essence when seeking to exploit a window of opportunity. In a restructuring or bankruptcy situation, running out of time is often the cause of failure. We understand this and have a sense of urgency; we are organized to respond quickly and effectively.

Cooperation
Many of our clients have had very unhappy relationships with members of the financial community, including investment bankers. This is especially true of the restructuring arena, which can be a jungle. Heartland Financial is an organization of team players.  Our principals have all been on the other side of these transactions, and know the concerns and pressures firsthand. We have built our business on making our client relationships cooperative and caring.  We have worked hard, over the years, to protect management and employees, as well as the interests of shareholders and creditors.We have worked on both "buy" and "sell" transactions and understand the needs of both sides.

Milestones

We have a keen understanding that we can best create our bridge to new value, by helping our clients achieve watershed events.  We have found that this step by step approach to value creation, though perhaps more time consuming, is the best way to maximize rewards for our clients in the long term.  As the ultimate value of the client grows, so too does our reward from the relationship.

Success

Since our inception, Heartland has always been a success-fee oriented organization.  We expect to perform, and to reap the majority of our compensation from performance. 

In Other Words, We Are On Your Side