13 THE MARKET Orange, California–based Ameriquest Mortgage Company originates, sells, and services specialty, first-mortgage home loans. Specialty lending — which provides mortgage loans to people who cannot, or choose not to, obtain financing from traditional lenders such as banks and thrifts — accounted for about one-fifth of the $3.5 trillion mortgage industry in 2004. Ameriquest helped pioneer this niche, and continues shaping the art of accessing and servicing the specialty lending market as the coun- try’s largest retail first-mortgage spe- cialty lender, and one of the largest home-equity lenders. Ameriquest is now expanding beyond its specialty lending roots to become a mainstream, full-product lender for borrowers of all credit backgrounds and financial objectives. ACHIEVEMENTS Ameriquest achieves extraordinary success while practicing the highest standards of honesty and integrity.The company in 2000 pioneered the devel- opment of Best Practices to establish voluntary standards for ethical lending practices in the mort- gage industry. These Best Practices support Ameriquest’s ongoing mission to make credit acces- sible to underserved markets, help customers gain a fresh financial start or realize a dream, and make homeownership a reality. They also set new stan- dards for all other specialty lenders. Three years later, the company established a Best Practices doctrine for loan-servicing opera- tions, which focus on customer success and satis- faction. These Best Practices have been hailed by community organizations such as the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), the Consumer Mortgage Education Consortium (CMEC), the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, the Greenlining Institute, the Center for Responsible Lending, the Self Help Credit Union, and more. Of course, loan quality is paramount at Ameriquest, as is the way loans are serviced once they’re funded. The company’s loan-servicing division in 2004 earned ratings upgrades from Wall Street agencies that assess its operations. The ratings, considered “superior,” track all facets of the operation — from customer service and staff training to loan administration, systems tech- nology, and division management. Ameriquest from the outset has maintained a strong sense of corporate citizenship, expressed in its core values: “Do the Right Thing” and “Helping Others.” Each year the company com- mits significant time and resources in support of charitable organizations, education, youth pro- grams, and economic opportunity for low- to moderate-income Americans. Among recent initiatives, the company made a charitable contribution of $1 million to obtain 1 million tickets from Major League Baseball’s Commissioner’s Initiative for Kids. Ameriquest and MLB distributed the game tickets to schools, youth organizations, police departments, fire departments, hospitals, community groups, and military outlets in and around each MLB market. Of course, Ameriquest encour- ages its associates’ community involvement with a standing offer to match the funds they raise for char- itable organizations, and recognizes their efforts with its highest honor, the Do the Right Thing Award. HISTORY Ameriquest Mortgage Company recently celebrated a quarter-century of business, helping hundreds of thousands of customers achieve the American dream of homeownership. The company was founded in 1980 as Long Beach Savings and Loan. It began residential loan operations in 1988, and transitioned completely to mortgage lending in the mid- 1990s by doubling its associate base, branch offices, and the states in which it did business. In 1997, the company redirected its focus to retail lending and assumed the Ameriquest name. Branch offices doubled again as did loan vol- ume, and Ameriquest became the number-one retail first-mortgage lender in the country. Impressive growth continues today, fueled by the company’s sharp focus on customer care and leading-edge systems and technology. Ameriquest now operates more than 300 branches in nearly all states, with primary concentrations on the West Coast and in the Midwest, the Northeast, and the South. As impressive, loan volume has doubled nearly every year since the mid-1990s. THE PRODUCT Ameriquest offers a variety of loan products, including fixed- and adjustable-rate mortgages for both conforming and nonconforming customers, interest-only adjustable-rate loans, and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) conforming loans. A new program, the 80/20 Purchase loan, allows qualified borrowers who lack funds for a down payment to buy a home. The company prides itself on treating every customer with the same level of respect and serv- ice as they would receive from a traditional lender. In many instances, Ameriquest’s loans act as a bridge to help customers improve their financial situations or achieve goals such as starting a busi- ness, paying for college, adding a room to the house, and more. 13 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS Ameriquest operates two of the largest airships in the world — Ameriquest Airships Liberty and Freedom — to complement its branding initia- tives and symbolize its mission to help every American fulfill the dream of homeownership. Freedom debuted at the 2004 Indy 500, and then made dozens of appearances coast to coast. Liberty made its first guest appearance October 5–6, 2004, at New York’s Yankee Stadium for Games 1 and 2 of the American League playoff series between the Yankees and Minnesota Twins. Both air- ships, at 206 feet in length, can hover for extended periods and have been used to supply aerial camera shots for games, television shows, and more. Liberty in March 2005 made a dramatic and colorful transformation as The Ameriquest Soaring Dreams Airship, with a nose-to-tail paint job sup- plied by children from around the country. The completed airship is the culmination of the Ameriquest Soaring Dreams Airship Project, a partnership between the company and Los Angeles–based Portraits of Hope, an organization that helps children build self-esteem through the development of one-of-a-kind works of public art. Thousands of kids in after-school programs and pediatric-care facilities painted the geometric- shaped panels that now stretch over the airship— more than 25,000 square feet of art. The panels are signed by the children who painted them. The Ameriquest Soaring Dreams Airship, which debuted March 30, 2005, in Southern Cal- ifornia, embarked on a nationwide tour of major sporting events and public cer- emonies to celebrate the hopes and dreams of children every- where. The program’s Web site is www.soaringdreams.org. In addition, Ameriquest recently opened two operational facilities to support its expansion into mainstream mort- gage lending. Its new loan-servicing center in Schaumburg, Illinois, will create more than 2,000 new jobs in this Chicago suburb and will enable the company to further enhance its customer service and support. The company’s new data center in Douglas County, Colorado, adds more jobs to the Denver economy and gives Ameriquest a centralized loca- tion to provide 24-hour operations, including a help desk for Ameriquest associates and business partners. PROMOTION Ameriquest believes professional sports are as basic to America as homeownership: both symbolize hopes and dreams for millions. Accordingly, the company forged sponsorship agreements with Major League Baseball and the National Football League, and is known as the official mortgage company sponsor for both. In 2004, the company launched its MLB part- nership by sponsoring the All-Star Game in-stadium balloting program, and the online All-Star balloting program via MLB.com. Ameriquest also made a significant commitment to MLB national broadcast partners over the course of the season, as well as to several teams. For instance, the Texas Rangers and Ameriquest signed a 30-year agreement establishing “Ameriquest Field in Arlington” as the new name for The Ballpark in Arlington. As part of the agreement, the Rangers and Ameriquest joined together in an extensive community out- reach initiative that includes Habitat for Humanity construction proj- ects, youth sports programs, affordable-housing programs, ticket giveaways, and more. Still another highlight of the MLB agreement was Ameriquest’s “Take a Legend to the World Series” sweepstakes, offered to fans throughout the country via the company’s Web site (www.ameriquest.com). The sweepstakes awarded one lucky entrant two World Series tick- ets and the opportunity to watch the game with baseball legends Tommy Lasorda, George Brett, and Ozzie Smith. Ameriquest’s NFL partnership was equally fruitful, as the company was the presenting sponsor of the Ameriquest Super Bowl XXXIX Halftime show featuring legendary rocker Paul McCartney, Pro Bowl Balloting, and the NFL Opening Kickoff show. The sponsorship also included two Super Bowl television ads, marking the first time Ameriquest advertised during the most-watched sports event in the country. In fact, more than 133 mil- lion people watched Super Bowl XXXIX, played February 6, 2005, in Jacksonville, Florida, the fifth-largest television audience in TV history. The ads, “Mini Mart” and “Surprise Dinner,” portrayed people who are misjudged and included Ameriquest’s tagline “Don’t judge too quickly. We won’t.” Both were voted among the year’s best in polls conducted by USA Today, ESPN, FOXSports .com, and America Online, among others. In fact, ESPN ranked “Mini Mart” as the number-one commercial, while USA Today’s online poll named “Surprise Dinner” as best overall. Ameriquest broadened its professional sports sponsorship portfolio in early 2005 by forming a partnership with Don Prudhomme Racing as a major associate sponsor of the Miller Lite drag- ster driven by two-time NHRA Top Fuel cham- pion Larry Dixon. And in May 2005, the company announced a sponsorship agreement with the legendary Rolling Stones rock band, naming Ameriquest as the pre- senting sponsor of the U.S. leg of The Rolling Stones On Stage World Tour. The concert tour, with more than 35 dates in the United States, begins August 21 at Boston’s Fenway Park before con- cluding early next year. Ameriquest’s sponsorship will incorporate a fully integrated promotional cam- paign featuring Rolling Stones–themed print and television advertising, direct mail, interactive Web content — including free music downloads — and a national consumer sweepstakes. Other strategic sports and entertain- ment sponsorships are in the offing. BRAND VALUES Ameriquest, as a privately held com- pany, maintains a steadfast commitment to core values that center on integrity, continuous improvement, customer satis- faction, community outreach, and corporate achievement. These values help shape the com- pany’s brand identity, which for the past several years has been “You are more than a credit score,” followed by “Don’t judge too quickly. We won’t.” In spring 2005 Ameriquest unveiled its “Proud Sponsor of the American Dream” campaign, reflecting the company’s ongoing expansion in the overall home-loan market, its professional sports sponsorships, its community involvement, and the emotional ties of homeownership. ❍ Ameriquest has helped more than 1 million customers achieve the American dream through mortgage refinancing and home- purchase transactions. ❍ More than 5,000 children painted by hand the Ameriquest Soaring Dreams Airship. The vivid canvas of colors and shapes is five times larger than Michelangelo’s fresco masterpiece on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. ❍ Some say Ameriquest, in its first year as the Official Mortgage Company Sponsor of Major League Baseball, helped the Boston Red Sox brush aside “Bambino’s Curse,” which, according to legend, had plagued the team since it sold Babe Ruth’s contract to the New York Yankees in 1920. How? Ameriquest’s Take a Legend to the World Series sweepstakes — which offered one lucky fan two tickets to the 2004 Fall Classic — was won by a lifelong Boston Red Sox fan. Boston, of course, went on to win its first World Series title in 86 years. THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT AMERIQUEST