Edison Financial welcomes staff
Many workers hired in pandemic finally get to work in new office
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Windsor-based online mortgage firm Edison Financial had just launched with about 10 employees.
More than a year later, the company has grown to around 70 employees, many of whom will come into the firm's downtown offices for the first time next week after starting their jobs from home.
“Most of our team have been hired during the pandemic and while working remotely,” said Edison Financial president Hash Aboulhosn.
“I think what we've learned with a few people in the office already is there is no replacement for building important professional relationships in the office.”
About 60 of the company's 70 employees are Windsor-based. The company's major backer is Rocket Companies, headquartered in Detroit.
Edison Financial is an online mortgage company that aims to “modernize” the mortgage experience, Aboulhosn said.
The company's staff handled the dual benefits and drawbacks of working remotely, Aboulhosn said, but they're looking forward to the collaboration of being back in the office.
“There's a buzz and excitement in the office that's really hard to replace,” he said.
“There's a level of collaboration and innovation that occurs that only adds fuel to the fire now being back in the office.”
Edison Financial's offices are located in the Rocket Innovation Studio in the Old Fish Market building in Downtown Windsor.
“There's something to be said for the general vibrancy of downtown Windsor, having people move back and forth,” Aboulhosn said.
“By and large we're building a business based in Windsor, overwhelmingly with people that live and work here, so we're focused on creating culture here and vibrancy in downtown.”
Tori Preney, a mortgage agent with Edison Financial, started working for the company in January. She met some of her colleagues for the first time this week.
“Starting a job from home and going through all these trainings was ... intimidating at first, but we have a great training program so the process was pretty seamless and team members have been nothing but supportive,” she said.
Preney said she values working in the office for the conversations and problem solving it sparks.
“Being right next to each other, bouncing ideas off each other, getting opinions right away makes a huge difference,” she said. “You don't realize how important they are when you're at home, but it's a true example of the benefits of being back.”
Aboulhosn said the company is enjoying solid growth. He anticipates the firm will have as many as 100 employees by the end of the year.
“We've made it work and have grown rapidly doing that all remotely and have no intention of slowing down. The tailwind of coming back into the office really only accelerates what we're doing and we're very excited.”