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About Our Company

We are a provider of construction lending business advisory and managed services. Granite-Excell Management (GEM) works in partnership with portfolio managers and best in class service providers to provide financial institutions, banks and private investors specific strategies and management expertise for construction lending, asset acquisition and management. Our mission is to guide clients toward maximized returns in construction related investments, projects and portfolios.

The experience of the GEM group in the residential and commercial construction lending industry is extensive. This experience is encompassed in a focused, risk management methodology: the ability to implement key policies with procedures and the understanding of how to evaluate - also to directly manage a portfolio of loans. Additionally, leveraging our extensive industry contacts and practice, we bring understanding of the local, regional and national market factors, and provide long-term direction with specific problem solving capability.

What sets GEM apart is our hands-on, real world experience gained through career-focused positions in the financial services environment. More than 100 years of experience in the residential and commercial construction lending industry - enhanced with the hundreds of billions in loan originations we have managed - create one of the most knowledgeable teams of construction lending experts capable of identifying and addressing the risk and directional needs of our clients.

Tom Hallock

Tom contributes 21 years of commercial and residential real estate lending to the GEM group. Most recently, Tom was a member of Countrywide’s senior manager team where he launched, and within six months made profitable, their Builder Finance Group. Prior to joining Countrywide, he was the CLO and later CCO for IndyMac’s commercial construction lending subsidiary, CLCA. Under his leadership, the group grew its portfolio to multi-billion dollars in originations. Tom is a recognized speaker for the National Association of Home Builders and the National Association of Construction Lenders and has served on several building and lender association boards.

Richard W. Nirk

Rick is a nationally recognized industry advisor and speaker for construction and mortgage lending industry with 20 years lending experience. Currently he is Managing Partner for Excell Management Group and Executive Director for the National Association of Construction Lenders. Former employers include: Citigroup, American Express, Citizens National Banking Group and JPMorgan Chase. He was responsible for the development of three national construction lending programs for JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and Morgan Stanley.

Mike Whitson

Mike is an experienced business and technology advisor to the mortgage lending industry. His clients include such firms as Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, CitiCorp, Wells Fargo and Wachovia. He most recently led strategic business development as Executive Vice President for ISGN, Inc., a global mortgage software & services company and provider of The Construction Lender (TCL®). Previously, he was a senior partner with MortgagHub, an innovator in the development of web-based lender portal technologies.