Fairway Independent Mortgage: The top

B Y Savannah Howe

#1

T H G I L T O P S S S E N I S U B E G R A L

For over 25 years, Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation has been focused on providing a workplace culture rooted in family and faith, which is why it’s been named a Top Arizona Workplace for a second year.

Fairway employs nearly 1,100 Arizonians and over 10,5000 employees across its over 500 branches nationwide. The company, headquartered in Madison, WI, was founded in 1996 to offer leading turn times in the lending industry — but before a company can achieve caliber customer service, it first must take care of its employees.

“Our aim is to provide excellent customer service to our clients, to our teammates, and operate with a servant’s heart at our core,” explains Fairway VP of Corporate Communications Kathy Bultman. “Being a servant leader is important to us at Fairway. We are an employee-owned company, and we all act as if we are owners on a daily basis.”

Having customers feel comfortable with Fairway as their trusted advisor is a priority, Bultman explains. The blueprint for that is the company’s 10 Core Values: Humility First; Foster Growth and Knowledge; Have Fun; Create an Amazing Experience; Speed to Respond; Seek Wise Counsel; Re-

Balance; Committed to Serve; Consistent, Honest Communication; and Family Focused.

“Fairway’s Core Values define who we are and what we strive to accomplish every day,” Bultman says. “These values define how we work, how we interact with each other, and guide us in determining how we best serve our customers and team members.”

Through the company’s flat, lateral sense of organization, “anyone in the company can speak with an executive at any level,” Bultman continues. “We do not stress hierarchy at Fairway. The culture of family plays a part in all we do.”

The community is included in Fairway’s family; the company has supported local food pantries such as Phoenix’s St. Mary’s, and also utilizes multiple internal charities to help those in need. This includes Fairway Cares which supports employees who have lost a loved one or suffered a critical illness with packages and financial support, and the American Warrior Initiative — founded by a Fairway branch manager — which helps wounded veterans with service dogs and financial grants.

The Fairway Foundation is meant to support employees who are experiencing financial hardship.

“The spirit of giving and giving back runs through our company,” Bultman says. “We love Fairway as a company, from our leadership to our fellow employees. We work together to help our company deliver the best customer service possible, while giving of ourselves our time and our attention. Out of that we have created a Top Workplace.”