The Roots of a Strong Banking Relationship.
Justin Schlaikjer, D.D.S.
St. Louis, MO
It takes years of study and training to become a periodontist. In Dr. Justin Schlaikjer’s case, that included four years of undergraduate school followed by four years of dental school at Creighton University and a three-year residency at Saint Louis University.
Long before Dr. Schlaikjer completed his training, he met with Commerce Bank. “I was doing a rotation in IV sedation for an oral surgeon, who happened to be a happy Commerce customer,” Dr. Schlaikjer recalled. “After we chatted, he suggested I keep Commerce in mind if I chose to stay in St. Louis.”
And that’s exactly what Dr. Schlaikjer did only a couple of years later when presented with the opportunity to purchase a dental practice in St. Louis County.
“Commerce was the only bank I contacted,” he said. The bank arranged for the loan needed to purchase the practice, including the patient records and dental equipment. Dr. Schlaikjer then leased the office space and concluded the transfer.
“It was a very stressful time and a complicated transaction, and Commerce made the process run very smoothly.”
Today, Dr. Schlaikjer relies on Commerce for both his personal and business banking, taking advantage of Commerce’s credit card technology and other merchant offerings.
“Everyone at Commerce has been helpful and made the transition easy,” he said. “As a small businessman just getting started, this brings me a lot of comfort.”
“There’s enough to worry about when you’re just starting out. I’m so glad to have a bank like Commerce that I can trust to take care of the financial details for me.”
— Dr. Justin Schlaikjer
