Bancroft Featured in U.S. Veterans Magazine
Posted: April 23, 2019
A Commitment to Service
At Bancroft Capital, small things make the big things happen
Cal Quinn, owner of Bancroft Capital, LLC
At Bancroft Capital in Ft. Washington, Pennsylvania, they believe that “repeatable excellence can only be achieved when there is attention to detail: small things that make the big things happen.” A certified service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB), Bancroft is founded on a commitment to service—“service to our clients, service to our country, service to our veterans and first responders who have sacrificed on our behalf.”
Owner Cauldon (Cal) Quinn describes the philosophy behind Bancroft by recounting a pivotal experience during his military service: “Late in the evening of January 9, 2002, I lay back on the cargo deck of a spinning C-130 on what was left of the tarmac at the Kandahar International Airfield. I was headed out to visit FARP’s (Forward Arming & Refueling Point), which my unit was operating in the field. Tired, sweating, and freezing at the same, laden with my Alice Pack and 70+ lb of gear, the floor of the C-130’s cargo bay was a welcome respite. It wasn’t long before I realized that I had forgotten something. Earlier in the day, a young soldier whom I had never met asked if I would look out for a birthday care package sent by his family several weeks earlier. I found the package and intended to hand-carry it for the last leg, but as I lay on that cargo floor, I realized I had left it in my hooch. My conscience is an overpowering force, and despite my best efforts to dismiss what was ‘right,’ I begrudgingly exited the aircraft just prior to take-off to retrieve the package. I cussed this young soldier’s name as I waited for the next flight later in the night. 
Incommunicado while in the field, I was oblivious to what had happened. It was only upon my return to Kandahar that I was informed of a memorial service being held that morning— everyone on that first plane had died. A chaplain attached to our unit had printed a leaflet with the words to Amazing Grace; even [today], I well with emotion at the mention of that song. About 170 service members from U.S. and its allies’ Special Forces regiments sang that song in what was left of a bombed out Kandahar International Airfield. There was not a dry eye in the house. As the service concluded, I flipped over the leaflet to see the names of the lost; Capt. Matthew Bancroft was at the top of the list. This caught my attention because only a few years prior, I had attended the U.S. Naval Academy with a Midn. Matthew Bancroft. That surname is one that all Midshipmen hold dear, as it is the name of our collective dormitory, home to all 4400 middies: Bancroft Hall (aka Mother B). I dare say that everyone knew of Midn. Matthew Bancroft. For some time, I struggled with survivor’s guilt. There was no good reason why I would have gotten off that aircraft. No good reason why Capt. Matthew Bancroft would die that day and I would live. I have since come to terms with that fateful day and my truth—my Creator was not done with me just yet, and I was to serve Him with my life. Thus, Bancroft Capital. Bancroft will never forget the sacrifice of life and limb left on the battlefields by so many. We endeavor to achieve excellence in all we do—that through our success, we may offer the opportunity of restoration to those service members and first responders who have sacrificed so much.”
U.S. Veterans Magazine spoke with owner Cal Quinn about operating a business as a service-disabled veteran-owned business.
Why did you decide to open your own business? I believe that I am the custodian of all things I “possess” in my life (e.g., home, car, marriage, children, and career) and that those things should not be used solely for the purpose of my licentious desire but to serve a cause greater than myself. Bancroft is my life’s pursuit of intersecting my professional career with service to a cause greater than me. What resources did you use when you were just starting up? I called upon any and all personal and professional resources available. Building a business from the ground up is an “all hands” evolution that calls for a 24/7 commitment.
What lessons did you take from the military that helped you in running your own business? I have often been asked, “What separates a veteran from their civilian counterparts?” While many would posit viable responses to this question, I am always drawn back to one distinct difference: a veteran’s commitment to mission completion. In the civilian world, we often get the advantage of the next opportunity and/or a new day to start again. In the military, we live our lives with the expectation that there is no second chance, as is the case in combat or so many of daily peacetime responsibilities of military service members. I believe the greatest lesson that I take from my military career is
the unparalleled commitment to mission completion.
What advice would you give other veterans who want to open their own businesses? Only consider establishing your own business if you cannot imagine doing anything else. Building a new business is not a “best-efforts initiative.”
For more information on Bancroft Capital, visit bancroft4vets.com