What do you want your legacy to be?
For Jeff Rousselle, owner of Rock Shore Builders, the answer is etched into every frame of timber and every freshly painted wall. After more than 20 years in construction, Jeff isn't just building new homes, additions, and custom remodels for his community. He's building a future for his family.
With his oldest son working as an electrician, followed by a plumber, a painter, and a 15-year-old still finding his path, Jeff's vision is deeply rooted in family. Two years ago, he rebranded his business with a bold, generational dream: to eventually expand Rock Shore Builders into specialized sister companies like Rock Shore Painting and Rock Shore Plumbing, handing the keys of hard work and entrepreneurship down to the next generation. But turning a generational dream into reality takes more than just a hammer and nails. It takes a financial partner who sees a person, not just a set of numbers.
Finding a Partner in the Community
Like many small business owners, Jeff has seen the corporate side of banking elsewhere—where you're treated like a transaction rather than a neighbor. But about 20 years ago, a customer recommendation led him to Saco & Biddeford Savings (SBSI), and things changed.
For Jeff, banking locally means convenience and real human connection. "The convenience of it is amazing. Projects go a lot easier when you can access your money when you get paid," Jeff shares. More than that, it’s about the warmth of walking through the doors. "Everybody takes care of you when you're here. They say hello when you walk in, they're excited to see you, and they remember me."
Jeanette Garvilles, a loan officer at SBSI who has worked closely with Jeff, understands that local banking thrives on human connection. "I'm a Mainer through and through. I'm all about the little guy," Jeanette explains. "I love listening to the stories. It's great to get to know them. It becomes a family thing."
When Jeff began reorganizing and rebranding his business two years ago, Jeanette and the team at SBSI stepped up to help him navigate the shifting landscape of small business growth, especially with his sons stepping into the fold. In the world of construction, cash flow and lines of credit are the lifeblood of a business. When a company goes through a rebrand, traditional larger banks often balk, viewing changes as a risk.
Jeff knows that struggle firsthand. "I've been told no so many times," he notes. But SBSI took a different approach, one built on genuine partnership. When Jeff needed financial backing to support his growing operation, SBSI worked hand-in-hand with him to open a crucial line of credit.
"The fact that you guys are willing to work with contractors is huge," Jeff says. "I've worked at other banks and I could never get anywhere. A line of credit for a company that just reestablished two years ago is huge. I don't think there's any other bank that would have done that."
For Jeanette and the SBSI team, backing local tradespeople like Jeff is simply what they are there for. As Jeanette puts it, "Without relationships in banking, there is no banking. What sets us apart is we can seem to get to a yes even when there's challenges and hurdles that are thrown."
A Family Tradition of Trust
Today, seeing Rock Shore Builders grow alongside the Rousselle family is a testament to what happens when a local business and a community bank are working towards the same future. It’s about building neighborhoods, supporting the little guy, and ensuring that hard-earned legacies are passed down within families.
At SBSI, relationships aren't just a metric, but the foundation of a stronger community... all it takes is one handshake, one smile, and one "yes" for a generation to start building a brighter future for the next.
Watch the full interview on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/fZBfY7aNGKA
