First Community Mortgage wins International BBB Torch Award for Ethics

First Community Mortgage is one of just five companies honored with the 2022 Better Business Bureau International Torch Award for Ethics. The businesses are honored for their outstanding commitment to leadership character and organizational ethics and will be recognized at a virtual ceremony Nov. 30.

“It may be trite but it is true: Actions speak much louder than words,” says Keith Canter, CEO of First Community Mortgage and one of the company’s founders, “and we’ve taken great care to establish and communicate the core values of the organization, underscoring that they are never compromised by anyone.”

Presented annually since 1996, the BBB International Torch Awards for Ethics recognize businesses in North America that maintain an outstanding dedication to upholding ethical business practices and promoting trust in the marketplace.

“The International Torch Awards for Ethics is one of the most important programs we do each year,” said Kip Morse, International Association of Better Business Bureaus President and CEO. “BBB sets standards to make trust a fundamental component of the American marketplace, but these businesses are out there every day making it happen. By awarding them the 2022 International Torch Award for Ethics, we are demonstrating to the business community that adhering to Better Business Bureau ethical standards is the hallmark of successful, competitive companies.”

First Community Mortgage won its BBB International Torch Award in Category 3, companies with 100-499 employees. In January FCM was the winner of the 2021 Better Business Bureau’s (Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky) Torch Award for Ethics in that region’s Extra-large Business Category.

“We communicate our values at every level of employee engagement,” Canter says, “and I am proud we have institutionalized not only communication of these guiding principles, but also their execution. With that woven into the fabric of our organization, it cascades to our business partners and customers, who see and experience the trust we place in our team members. That helps them know we can be trusted with the privilege of their partnership, business and repeat business.”

First Community Mortgage, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of First Community Bank of Tennessee, and includes Wholesale and Retail divisions. FCM is a FNMA, FHLMC, and GNMA seller/servicer and offers mortgage solutions to consumers and financial institutions. It funded nearly $3.5 billion in home loans in 2021 and has been the winner of several “best places to work” awards over the past year, including being named one of the 2022 Top Workplaces USA by Energage, one of the Best Places to Work 2021 by the Nashville Business Journal and one of the Top Work Places 2021 by The Tennessean newspaper. First Community Mortgage is an Equal Housing Lender, NMLS ID 629700.