Our History

Where It Began

In the late 1960s, my father became the youngest vice president at ATLAS Finance Corporation (AFCo), a company that provided small personal loans and insurance. The loans ranged from $30 to $1,000, serving customers who needed access to financing for everyday needs.

He went on to build a successful banking career in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, eventually becoming president and chief executive officer of a local bank. After more than 30 years in banking, he stepped away from that career and returned to his roots in consumer finance, establishing AFCO Financial Corporation.

Building on Experience

During the 1990s, AFCO Financial Corporation once again provided small signature loans. As the business grew, customers began asking for more—automobile financing, equipment loans, business expansion capital, and residential mortgages.

Those conversations revealed an opportunity to serve customers beyond their immediate borrowing needs.

With the growth in housing, industrial, and commercial development associated with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) era, AFCO shifted its focus toward residential mortgage lending. Consumer signature loans were discontinued as the company pursued this new direction.

During this period, AFCO Realty was established alongside AFCO Financial Corporation, expanding the business into real estate. Over time, my father concluded his professional career and entered retirement.

A Son’s Perspective

I had the privilege of watching my father build his career, learning from his experience, and seeing firsthand what it takes to establish and grow a business. Not everyone has the opportunity to witness that process so closely or to learn from a parent who has built something from the ground up.

His example helped shape my own professional path. I went on to build experience in banking and finance, establish a mortgage brokerage and real estate brokerage, and develop businesses in consulting and insurance.

Over the years, these disciplines became distinct parts of my professional work. Yet I continued to see the value in bringing them together.

Carrying the Name Forward

AFCO Financial Services is the next chapter of that story.

I founded the company in honor of my father, choosing the AFCO name as a tribute to the example he set and the standards of hard work, integrity, and professional excellence that I associate with his career.

Today, AFCO Financial Services brings commercial financing, real estate, business consulting, and insurance together under one umbrella. The services have evolved, the business environment has changed, and the opportunities are different from those of the original company. The underlying purpose, however, remains familiar: understand what people need, recognize opportunities to serve them, and build a business around doing the work well.

For me, AFCO is more than a name. It represents where I came from, what I learned, and the responsibility I feel to carry those lessons forward.