Ace Finance and Tax Services always in season

Rudy Valent, sole proprietor and owner of Ace Finance and Tax Services, never imagined he would someday be the owner of a financing and tax business, but since 2009, his company is one of the few locally and privately owned lenders in Nueces County certified by the state of Texas.
“Our company not only does tax services, but we also process individual loans,” Valent said. “Technically, we’re certified the same as a small bank, but our customers always receive one-on-one care and are treated as an individual, not just another number.” 
Though January through April tends to be the busiest time for the company, Ace Finance and Tax Services stays open year-round with a clientele ranging from all walks of life and different parts of Texas, including Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Laredo, Freer, Alice, the Rio Grande Valley and, of course, Corpus Christi
During tax season, Valent provides free tax services to high school and college students working part time or those just getting started in the workforce. 
“For the younger folks employed at grocery stores, fast food places, etcetera, and barely get a refund, I don’t charge for doing their taxes at all,” he said. “It’s my way of paying back to the community, helping the next generation transition into the real world. It also gives me a chance to build a relationship with them, so later on, when they’re settled down in their careers, they’ll come back to me for their tax needs.” 
As a Corpus Christi native, Valent’s own work experience began while he was still in Richard King High School. 
“My jobs ranged from being a stocker at Handy Andy Grocery Store to working at construction sites and even serving as a patient escort at the hospital,” he told Corpus Christi Business News. “I was good at math in school, but I never thought I would get into accounting.” 
When he settled down to a career at a local department store, Valent soon worked his way up to management. 
“I spent 11 years at Super K-Mart and became a manager,” he said. “But after awhile, I got burned out from the long hours. My wife worked at a salon and also had demanding hours, so I decided to find a regular 9-to-5 schedule that would let me stay home with the kids during nights and weekends and watch them grow up.”
He soon found his niche with a small loan and finance company. Valent started out as a collector, gradually moving his way up to assistant supervisor, supervisor and, finally, manager. 
“I stayed with this one particular company for about 13 years,” he said. “Toward the end of my career there, I had a staff of six people, I had over 60 to 70 customers, and everyone knew who I was because my name was advertised on the radio for six years. The finance company I had worked for was a great one; however, I was already at the highest level I could be and, frankly, was getting bored because my job was no longer challenging.” 
Then one day, his uncle, Richard Valent, a retiree from the telephone company, came to visit and affected a life change for his nephew.  
“Although he had no clue what exactly it was that I did, my uncle couldn’t help but notice how customers kept asking for me by name, even though there were other employees at the office,” he said. “He saw my potential and took me aside and told me, ‘You know too much to be spending time working for someone else.’ He pushed me to go off on my own. He inspired me to be where I am today. Because of him, I transitioned from manager for someone else to owner of my own company.”
The steps needed to get a new business license and certification from the state of Texas was a long and complicated process, though.  
“I was scared when I first opened my firm because I realized it was more headache then I imagined,” Valent said. “Even after I got my license, by law, I had to wait three months before I could open my doors to avoid any conflict with my previous employer.”
His uncle stayed with him the first two years to make sure his business was legally in order. He used all his savings and even sold his truck to finance the business.
“I did not want to borrow from the banks or the credit unions,” he said. “What I have in my office today is 100 percent mine.”
Every penny he lent out to customers during the first two years of business came from his own bank accounts. 
“Did I struggle? Yes. Did I cry through the first years? Yes. But as time moved on, profits came in and business started growing,” he said. “I went from working long hours by myself to having a staff of four people.” 
Soon, his brother, Alfonso “Al” Valent, a retired U.S. Marine, joined him. Al Valent is one of the remaining survivors of the U.S. Navy ship collision catastrophe in Barcelona, Spain, in 1977. 
“I had been in the U.S. Marines since age 17 when I decided to retire in 1993,” Al Valent said. “It’s where I learned discipline, operation skills, managerial skills, which I use here in the outside community to this day.”  
After working eight years for the railroad, Al Valent decided to take a break. 
“That was when Rudy told me he needed help, so I came and have stayed here ever since,”
he said. “I really admire Rudy’s ability to prevail.”
Rudy Valant trained his brother along with staff members Ariana Munoz and Lorraine Salinas. They all take online classes from the IRS.
Even as business continues to grow, Valent wants each customer to have the individual attention for their business needs. 
“The moment they walk through the door, I want my customers to leave satisfied,” he said. “I work one on one with each customer. We show and communicate to them everything that we do. I have a lot of repeat clients, and every year, I get new customers.”
Plans for the future include opening another branch in the Rio Grande Valley. 
Ace Finance and Tax Services is located at 4820 Kostoryz Road #B, Corpus Christi, TX 78415. For more information, call (361) 851-1040.