Written by Mark Hostutler - Editor, American Community Journals
A Strategic Acquisition Creates New Opportunities
For decades, SSH's name has been associated with some of Philadelphia's most recognizable commercial properties, including 123 South Broad Street, the historic Center City tower known to movie fans as the fictional Duke & Duke headquarters in the classic film Trading Places.
Today, the focus is on what's next.
SSH Facilities, a fast-growing commercial HVAC, plumbing, and building maintenance company, has emerged as a major growth engine within the broader SSH organization. The latter had been historically focused on commercial real estate management, investments, and brokerage and recently sold its property management and brokerage business lines to Transwestern.
Expanding Commercial Real Estate Services in Philadelphia
As SSH Facilities expands its footprint across the region through acquisitions and organic growth, Firstrust Bank has become a key financial partner, helping provide the banking, lending, and treasury management services needed to support the momentum.
"It's been a major growth area for us," said Greg Muller, the CEO of SSH Facilities who has spent more than two decades in leadership roles within the SSH organization. "We saw an opportunity to build a customer-focused, high-quality HVAC, plumbing, and building maintenance service business alongside our longtime real estate platform."
That opportunity has translated into rapid growth. SSH Facilities now employs approximately 115 people, including 100 field technicians and mechanics, and has expanded its offerings beyond HVAC to include plumbing and comprehensive building maintenance services.
The company's growth is rooted in a long history of serving commercial property owners throughout Philadelphia and its suburbs.
"We are very much Philadelphia, born and bred," said Pete Soens, the founding partner of SSH Real Estate and now Executive Managing Director—Market Leader at Transwestern after the recent transaction. "Our focus has always been the city and the surrounding suburbs. That's who we are."
That deep understanding of commercial buildings and the needs of property owners helped create a natural pathway into facilities management and maintenance services. As demand increased, SSH Facilities continued investing in talent, service capabilities, and acquisitions to strengthen its position in the marketplace.
How Firstrust Bank Helped Support SSH Facilities' Expansion
Supporting that growth required a banking partner capable of moving at the same pace.
In early 2025, SSH Facilities turned to Firstrust Bank for a comprehensive suite of financial services, including banking, lending, treasury management, and acquisition financing.
The relationship began through Sharon Hammel, Firstrust Bank's EVP and Director of Community Banking, who had previously worked with SSH leadership at another insitution.
"She helped start the Firstrust relationship," Muller said. "Now, we're partnered on everything with Firstrust—banking, credit cards, borrowing, a full suite of services."
The Value of Responsive Business Banking
For a company pursuing growth opportunities and strategic acquistions, having a responsive banking partner is critical.
"When you're buying a business or financing growth, you're taking risks," Muller said. "You're partially relying on the bank to be there alongside you. Firstrust has done that, and they make it easy along the way."
As SSH Facilities has expanded, company leadership says Firstrust has delivered a combination of capabitilies and accessibility that can be difficult to find.
"Every banker says they're relationship-driven," Soens said. "But sometimes smaller banks don't have the breadth of capability, and larger banks can change direction overnight or become difficult to navigate."
SSH found a different experience with Firstrust.
"Firstrust represents that perfect sweet spot for us," Soens said. "They have the size and stability we need, but they're still accessible. You can talk to someone. They're nimble. They do what they say they're going to do."
Muller agrees.
A Banking Partnership Built on Trust
"Having a bank that understands your business and can move quickly makes a tremendous difference when you're growing," he said.
For Soens, the relationship comes down to trust and execution.
"They're smart bankers. Logical. Responsive," he said. "They want to grow with you."
That stability and partnership matter in industries where clients and investors expect certainty.
"When you hear about smaller banks being in trouble, clients and investment partners want comfort," Soens said. "They want to know you're with a bank that's not going anywhere."
As SSH Facilities continues to expand throughout the region, its leadership remains focused on identifying new opportunities, investing in its people, and strengthening the services it delivers to clients. Pursuing that kind of growth requires more than capital. It requires trusted partners who understand the business, share the vision, and are prepared to support what comes next.
Built on trust, strengthened through collaboration, and aligned around future opportunities, the relationship between SSH Facilities and Firstrust Bank demonstrates how partnerships can help power what's next.
Learn more about how Firstrust Bank is helping people and businesses achieve success in the very region it calls home.
