In 1995, Robert Gaither secured an SBA loan and opened a Schlotzsky’s Deli franchise, with a grand opening on May 23, 1995. Getting there wasn’t simple. After hitting roadblocks putting the SBA package together, Robert was referred to a community development officer who helped him assemble the full loan file, including the required proforma statements, and knew exactly which banks to approach to get the deal funded. That experience, needing an expert to turn a complicated process into a fundable deal, left a lasting impression.

Robert ran the franchise successfully for nearly a decade, selling out of the restaurant business in December 2004. After leaving the restaurant industry, Robert moved into residential mortgage brokering. When a colleague of his Father’s needed financing for a residential subdivision in Topeka, KS, Robert sourced the lender, packaged the deal, and got it funded. When his brokerage’s leadership saw he could handle commercial transactions, they built a commercial lending division around him. He’s been doing commercial loan consulting ever since.

Today, as Managing Director and Principal of Mid America Capital Group, Robert brings that same hands-on approach to apartment owners, investors, and operators nationwide, the same thing that community development officer once did for him: translating a complex deal into one that actually gets funded.