Local businessman succeeds on and off the ice
By: Gwen McNamara
PRINCETON For most of us, relaxing after work doesn’t include lacing up some skates, throwing on some pads and checking guys into the boards. But for former minor-league ice hockey player Scott Kelsey, there’s no better form of relaxation.
Mr. Kelsey, assistant vice president at Arlington Capital, a residential mortgage company on Witherspoon Street, is the kind of guy who works hard and plays harder.
A top producer at Arlington, Mr. Kelsey is a member of the company’s President’s Club and manages its corporate sponsorship with the ECHL, a ‘AA’ minor-league ice hockey team.
When not hard at work drumming up and serving clients, he also finds time to play in a recreational league and coach in the Princeton Youth Hockey Association.
"I’ve played sports all my life, and that naturally translates well into business," he said.
Being competitive and aggressive by nature helps Mr. Kelsey stay on top of his game, both personally and professionally.
"I believe you need to work hard to succeed," he said. "And being part of hockey has enabled me to make connections I wouldn’t have otherwise."
Mr. Kelsey, 34, grew up playing youth ice hockey, continued to play in high school and went on to play at Hamilton College, in the Utica, N.Y., suburb of Clinton, where he graduated in 1993 with a degree in international comparative political studies.
His minor league career began in the 1993-1994 season when he played for three teams, the Utica Bulldogs and Muskegon Fury in the Colonial Hockey League (now known as the United Hockey League), and the Louisville Icehawks in the East Coast Hockey League (now known as the ECHL).
He went on to play for the San Antonio Iguanas and eventually settled in with the Memphis Riverkings, where he played four seasons before taking off the 1998-1999 season.
Mr. Kelsey joined Arlington Capital in 1998 and would have hung up his skates if the Trenton Titans hadn’t come along.
"When I took the job, I didn’t intend to play, but I was asked to come play with the Titans and did so on an as-needed basis," he said.
Mr. Kelsey played more than 30 games with the Titans between 1999 and 2002. At the same time, he kicked his coaching career into high gear.
He served as an assistant coach for the Princeton Day School boys’ hockey team from 1998 to 2000, and since 1999, he has been involved with the Princeton Youth Hockey Association. With Princeton Youth Hockey, Mr. Kelsey has been on the board of directors for the past four years, serving three years as director of player development, and he has coached across several age levels. This past year, he coached the PeeWee "A-team" ages 10 to 12.
So does Arlington Capital mind he spends so much time on the ice?
No, according to Mr. Kelsey.
"Any exposure is good," he said. "It’s hard for people in our industry to do well sitting around at a desk waiting for the phone to ring. This company was built on the need to be out in the community and make contacts. We build our business on personal references."
Arlington Capital, founded in 1989 by Philip Russo, primarily focuses on residential mortgages. The company which merged with Windsor Financial Mortgage Corp. of West Chester, Pa., in January 2004, thus creating the largest independent retail mortgage lender in the Philadelphia/South Jersey region reported more than $1.5 billion in annual loan production and provided more than $8 billion in real-estate financing last year.
The company, with offices in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Florida, employs about 210 people.
Whether coaching or playing hockey, it’s been a natural lead-in to meet new people and get out into new segments of the public, Mr. Kelsey said.
"I’m not out there actively soliciting business," he stressed. "But people get to know the type of business I’m in, and if someone asks a question, I’d be happy to answer."
With such a full schedule, its been tough to balance work and play, but Mr. Kelsey attributes his ability to multi-task to his success.
"Juggling all my responsibilities can be tough, but it teaches you discipline and scheduling skills," he said. "I’ve pared down what I’ve taken on over the years. For instance, I gave up coaching at PDS."
For the future, Mr. Kelsey is hopeful he can grow both professionally and personally.
"Business-wise, it’s all about where I want my level of production to be," he said. "I’d like to grow a team of people. Right now, I have one dedicated person working for me. I enjoy it here and have the time to pursue other things, both personal and business interests. There’s no limit to where I can go. It’s just a matter of refining what I have now and building on it."
On the coaching side, Mr. Kelsey is looking to work at PDS again, if only on a part-time basis to start.
"It’s definitely something I’m looking toward," he said.
"Overall, it’s good to come out and play, whether it’s with a 70-year-old guy in Lawrence or a 20-year-old guy in Manhattan. It’s another avenue to make good personal and business connections."