Despite starting at home, the Hubbard family business doesn’t bring work home, which is one of the reasons Hubbard believes the company has had such success. It’s a commitment they made to themselves and the business years ago.

We never break away from a family gathering to do business,” he says, pointing to a recent family dinner that brought together about 30 people, many of whom work for Hubbard Family Swim School. “When we’re with family as a family, we’re there and we drop the curtain. If there’s work, we do work within a work timeframe.”

Hubbard says swimming instruction is unlike the homebuilding industry, where he made a pit stop earlier in his professional life. With swimming, experience breeds invaluable expertise.

“We were doing a new project and testing the waters, so we decided to open it up to other conversations. They wanted our business,” Hubbard says. “They understand our business and they understand the family nature.”

Cooney says the Hubbards were attracted to the flexible lending structure of National Bank of Arizona as they looked at future growth plans, but noted they also appreciated the personal service the bank offered them, recalling the time they were signing loan documents at the Hubbards’ home as the company held one of its quarterly meetings.

“Bigger banks take place at a centralized location. Your personal contact is at the sales point and you never hear from them again. This is continuous,” Cooney says. “I have a text message and phone call relationship with Bob. My job is not over by a long shot in this relationship.”

Hubbard, though, says he really appreciated that NB|AZ exhibited an interest in the long haul. They were able to look beyond the current conversation.

“They’re forward thinking,” Hubbard says. “It’s important, in my mind, to do business with people like that.”