“We can do big bank stuff, and deliver quality ‘boutique’ service to our commercial clients. We are unique in our market. And it’s the tough spaces where it matters to have a good banker alongside you,” says Roze Merditaj, a relationship manager in Fulton Bank’s commercial lending office in Oyster Point.
Merditaj says that each size banking institution typically offers certain commercial banking products, “but the products don’t vary much. It’s the relationship and how we engage with our clients. Of the products we offer, I am most impressed by our leasing and dealer financing. And, our best kept secret is our 401K plans.”
The Fulton website offers a succinct historical and current perspective:
“Since Fulton Bank opened its doors in 1882, we have strived to deliver the best banking experience for our customers. Today, as part of Fulton Financial Corporation, a $21.3 billion financial services holding company, Fulton Bank offers a broad array of financial products and services in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware and Virginia. We’re proud to offer convenience in neighborhoods across the region.”
Merditaj illustrates that neighborhood, or boutique, approach with an example about a steel company that was negatively impacted by tariffs. Merditaj describes her approach: “How do we alleviate the pressure in a rough year when we know our clients go through ups and downs? We don’t turn them over to an 800 number. That’s when we become the value add.”
Merditaj cultivates a unique perspective on service to her community, which she believes is an obligation. She explains she “was born in Kosovo and came here as a result of ethnic cleansing. I was 13 with a bag on my back when I arrived. My family was in restaurants so I started in restaurants. Becoming a bank teller was my way out of restaurants, and I’ve worked my way up. I believe that if you live here, business and jobs are how we all survive. I want to help businesses grow. I can’t think of a better way to serve my community than by finding ways to help them make money!
“I have an amazing job. The culture is why I work here at Fulton. The way we engage with each other and the way we engage with our clients matters to me. Employees tend to stay here. It’s hard to find places where people stay,” Merditaj says. She reveals she finds clients in a “very organic way. People bring me people in need. In addition to referral business, I network everywhere. I don’t really know how I do it, but I make connections and solve problems.”
While visiting the banking lobby, Merditaj meets Fulton customer Marc Turner, who works at the shipyard. They know each other from working on a parking issue that is a result of a public transportation problem that Merditaj was working on while serving the community in other capacities. She says to Turner, “I’m going to need your help with that parking issue!” Their conversation turns to where to go — exactly which aisle — to save money on wine. Merditaj shrugs, “I like saving money!” Turner agrees, “I do too!” Merditaj’s job title is relationship manager — indeed.
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