ALHAMBRA - Step into TomatoBank in Alhambra and you may not realize you're in a bank, since you don't wait to interact with a teller standing behind Plexiglas.
Customers receive private, personal service at a customer service desk, said Dr. Stephen Liu, TomatoBank CEO and chairman of the board.
"Nobody is standing in line," he said. "They all get personalized service. That's why we are so successful. We're focused on the client."
Bank officials also visit clients' offices or homes because the company emphasizes personal relationships, Liu said.
"Here you get to know people," he said.
The company also focuses on community service. The bank's latest partnership is with the Urban Education Partnership, which focuses on helping high-poverty, multi-
cultural Los Angeles County schools with academic achievement.
TomatoBank will participate in the organization's summer internship program.
"This gives \ some real-world experience," said Jesse Torres, TomatoBank's chief operating officer.
"This demonstrates to colleges that they're serious about pursuing a career," Torres said. "It also demonstrates to future employers the same level of commitment."
TomatoBank is able to help the community because it has continued to grow and prosper, Liu said.
The bank, founded in 2000, has $400 million in assets and is expected to approach $1 billion by the end of the decade, he said.
Liu, 46, turned to the financial world about 10 years ago after enjoying a successful career in medicine. He worked as an orthopedic surgeon, assistant professor and assistant team physician for collegiate athletics at UCLA in the 1990s.
The medical field is about risk management and making the right judgment, similar to the financial world, Liu said.
"You have to make similar sound decisions," he said.
But medicine is about maintaining a routine, while working at TomatoBank is always exciting, Liu said.
"In the business world, I feel I can help more people," Liu said.
Liu emigrated from Taiwan in 1972 and graduated from South Pasadena High School in 1978. He feels comfortable in the San Gabriel Valley and knows all of the streets surrounding TomatoBank's Alhambra headquarters.
Alhambra provides a central location with a diverse population, robust small businesses and active communities, he said.
The bank, which has 75 employees, has grown 40 percent to 50 percent each year, he said. The company has six offices and plans to open two more in Arcadia and San Diego.
Many customers have embraced the unusual company name, which was chosen because it's easy to remember, he said.
"If you can have a computer company called Apple, why not a bank called Tomato?" Liu said. "You can't forget a name like TomatoBank."
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TomatoBank (www.tomatobank.com) is Los Angeles’ dynamic leading multi-ethnic bank.