The ‘Hometown Bank’ Brings the ‘Hometown Touch’ to Business Banking pptx

BUSINESS M A G A Z I N E VOLUME XXV, NUMBER 4 APRIL 2012 Manufacturer & Business Association The ‘Hometown Bank’ Brings the ‘Hometown Touch’ to Business Banking / Page 12 The ‘Hometown Bank’ Brings the ‘Hometown Touch’ to Business Banking In business, you want to surround yourself with the right people to support your operation. When choosing a bank, you want a trusted firm that is looking out for you and your company’s long-term financial goals. So, when Erie natives and brothers Drs. Jonathon and Harry Izbicki of Izbicki Family Medicine, PC decided to turn to Marquette Savings Bank for their business banking needs and new office at 3424 Peach Street, they found a bank that was willing to work with them and build a business relationship for the future. “Partnering with Marquette’s team just made perfect sense to us because we are a hometown name with hometown values,” states Dr. Jonathon Izbicki, D.O. “We recognized a need in the Erie community for quality relationship- based medical care, where people are not just a number. Marquette is a hometown bank with hometown values, and they recognized the value of the relationship for the Erie community. ” Since its founding in 1908, Marquette has been the bank of choice for many in the area — helping residents get the finances they need to get the home of their dreams or save for their children’s education. In 2009, Marquette established its Business Banking Division to replicate the same level of service that its retail customers have come to know and trust. “Marquette is different than some other banks because they are attentive and are truly concerned,” explains Erie Industrial Supply Company President Dena Zambrzycki. “It’s just like banking with family.” Michael Edwards, who joined Marquette in 1988 and was named chief executive officer in April 2002, says that what distinguishes Marquette from other banks is its longevity and commitment to excellent customer service. It’s one of the reasons that Marquette’s slogan, “The Hometown Bank with the Hometown Touch,” has stood the test of time. “After 100 years in the community,” Edwards says, “our customers trust us and know we have their best interest in mind.” Strategic Growth With 121 employees in 12 locations in Erie and Crawford counties, and assets of approximately $759 million, Marquette is independently strong. For 94 consecutive quarters, or 23.5 years, the bank has earned BauerFinancial’s five-star superior rating, the highest available, for safety and soundness. This distinction places Marquette in the top 10 percent of all banks nationally. Marquette also has been named to the prestigious 2010 Seifried & Brew Top 15th percentile of banks that have achieved the optimum balance of risk and reward. Banks that make this list include community banks with assets between $100 million and $5 billion. Equally impressive, Marquette has experienced a 39-percent increase in total assets since 2009, and its capital position is 13.89 percent. The FDIC capital requirement for a well-capitalized bank is 5 percent. Bank executives say Marquette’s “conservative” and “prudent” approach to banking has been instrumental to its financial performance. “I think the key here is that our underwriting standards have been consistent in both good and challenging economic times,” states Edwards. “Those banks that loosened and relaxed their standards are the ones who experienced heavy charge-offs and losses. Throughout the recent economic crisis, Marquette’s earnings ratio has consistently been in the 90th percentile of our peer group.” Marquette Savings Bank’s executive management team includes: Julie Wilson, executive vice president and chief financial officer; Michael Edwards, senior executive vice president and chief executive officer; Kelly Montefiori, executive vice president and chief information/compliance officer; Louis Natalie, executive vice president and chief credit officer; and David Carll, executive vice president and chief retail banking officer. 12 < www.mbabizmag.com < April 2012 The ‘Hometown Bank’ Brings the ‘Hometown Touch’ to Business Banking As a result of this stability and capitalization, Marquette has been able to experience controlled growth that has taken it from a small community bank, specializing in home loans and savings programs, to one of the area’s most financially strong, full-service financial institutions. The most noticeable signs of this growth have been the investments to its infrastructure, including renovations at the bank’s Liberty Street and Albion branches and the construction of several new offices. These offices include state-of the-art banking centers on the east side of Erie; West 38th Street and Sterrettania, and West 12th Street in Millcreek Township; and a drive-thru branch on Park Avenue in Meadville. Marquette also acquired three former National City Bank offices in Crawford County in 2009. Renovation of its Erie headquarters at 920 Peach Street is set for 2012. Business Banking Yet even more dynamic than these bricks and mortar investments is the creation of Marquette’s Business Banking Division. In 2008, the bank conducted a study of local business owners to gauge their reaction and interest to Marquette entering the business market. The results showed an expressed desire for a bank with timely, local decision-making and an ongoing commitment to customer service — everything that Marquette represents and delivers. “The reaction we had was overwhelmingly positive,” says Edwards. “Strategically, the entrance into business banking provided another avenue of growth for the bank in addition to diversifying our concentration in 1-4 family residential lending.” Spearheading this effort is Senior Vice President of Business Banking David Slomski, a veteran banker with nearly 40 years of overall banking experience. “A lot of banks say they are relationship based, but that is where Marquette has succeeded on the consumer side,” says Slomski, “and that is where we will succeed on the business side.” Due to the consolidation and quick growth, many larger banks utilize centralized underwriting in their lending practices. In these transactions, a customer typically sits down with a branch manager generalist or sales person who uses a checklist to determine a loan request based on what the borrower thinks they need. That information is then sent to an out-of- town office, which is often reviewing the request for the first time. At Marquette, however, customers can expect to meet with a trained, experienced banker that is either the direct decision maker or, if it is an extremely large transaction, the person having input on the lending decision. They are familiar with the customer’s financial picture and future needs. “If you are dealing with experienced business bankers, you get more of that consultant or advisory type of service,” says Slomski. “You may think you need a $200,000 or $300,000 term loan to handle your financing needs, but your sales are growing, so have you thought about if you need a commercial line of credit or things of that nature?” Although it may require more resources for such relationship banking, Marquette is committed to that level of service. “Our growth so far has proven that a bank’s establishing relationships with its clients is beneficial to everyone — customer and bank.” Because of this relationship focus, Marquette’s competitive advantage is its flexibility to be able to work with borrowers in all industries — manufacturing, retail, contractors, medical, nonprofit, for example — and loans as small as $10,000 and as high as $1.8 million or more. “Size doesn’t scare us,” Slomski says. “We are equipped and interested in both ends of the spectrum as well as everything in between.” At Marquette, being a part of the community in which it operates also means being willing to partner with local economic development authorities, state programs and even other banks on community based projects. “When it makes sense to our client, we are open to all partnerships,” Slomski adds. With such a customer-driven model in place, Marquette’s Business Banking Division is positively positioned to grow. “As far as where we > Founded: 1908 Headquartered: 920 Peach Street in Erie, Pennsylvania Products and service: Marquette specializes in residential, business and agricultural loans and lines of credit; personal and business checking and saving accounts, including business sweep accounts; electronic banking services, including online banking, bill payment, eStatements and mobile banking; safe deposit box; lockbox services; cash management services, including ACH origination, wire transfer and positive pay; and remote deposit capture. Chief Executive Officer: Michael Edwards Board of Trustees: Chairman of the Board and President Stephen Danch; Vice Chairman Donald Fessler; Trustees Leo Brugger Jr., Max Holt, Roger Schlosser, Donald Sieber, Robert Wagner Jr., Herman Weber Jr., and Douglas Ziegler; and Trustees Emeritus Richard McCormick and Harry West Locations: 12 offices in Erie and Crawford counties. Erie County offices – 920 Peach Street, 3801 Sterrettania Road, 3404 Liberty Street, 2320 West 12th Street and 1775 East 38th Street in Erie; 209 West Plum Street in Edinboro; and 14 North Main Street in Albion. Crawford County offices – 953 South Main Street, 1073 Park Avenue, 349 North Street and 16086 Conneaut Lake Road in Meadville; and 210 Water Street in Conneaut Lake. Size: Approximately $759 million in assets Recognitions: Marquette received the 2009 Celebration of Excellence Award from the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership for its long- term excellence and commitment to the local area. Charitable Donations: From 2000 to 2011, Marquette contributed more than $2.7 million to local organizations and charities. Phone: 814/455-4481 or 1-866-MSB-ERIE Email: Main.office@marquettesavings.com Website: www.marquettesavings.com Senior Vice President & Business Banking Manager David Slomski (center) meets with Drs. Harry and Jonathon Izbicki, D.O., of Izbicki Family Medicine, PC in Erie. The Izbickis chose Marquette for their business banking needs because of the bank’s hometown values and longstanding commitment to the Erie community. April 2012 > www.mbabizmag.com > 13 Vice Presidents & Branch Managers Rita Wood and Grace Ewanick have been with Marquette for a combined 75 years. At Marquette, branch managers are also loan officers, many with decades of banking experience. are in the development, it is ahead of projections,” explains Slomski. “But we have even more potential.” Customized Products, New Technology Marquette’s Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer Kelly Montefiori has been in banking for 29 years, including 22 years in IT, Operations and Compliance. She says it is an exciting time to be a business customer of Marquette’s because of the bank’s ability to identify and structure products to meet their needs, including merchant deposit capture, lockbox services, and cash management services, such as ACH (automated clearing house) transactions and wire transfers. Marquette also is able to customize its online banking platform to each individual company, so they can determine how they have access, who has access and what security levels they want. Montefiori expects upcoming enhancements to the bank’s online banking system in 2012 will upgrade security not only for Marquette, but filter down to customers, using a secure tunnel environment. “Technology is very much a driving force at Marquette and it is creating efficiencies for both the bank and the customer,” she says. “We can cost justify technology like we have never done before, and that is translating itself into a better customer experience.” That means moving from one-channel banking to a multi-level banking experience. “Now you are talking about online, mobile, electronic bill pay, and direct access from imaging with remote deposit capture,” says Montefiori. “This is exciting stuff and then to have that information at your fingertips for recall and research, that is a valuable tool for a business.” Mobile Marquette, for example, allows both business and retail customers to utilize the latest mobile banking technology to access their accounts 24/7 through SMS (short message service) text banking, mobile web, or a mobile banking app. “Image technology is where the future lies,” explains Montefiori. “We certainly are seeing that there is a group of people who are anxious to use the technology and understand the efficiency and convenience that it brings them.” Bank executives say the use of online banking services — especially ACH payroll processing for business customers — continues to rise along with branch traffic. Yet Marquette has responded by continuing to deliver the same level of service, whether it is someone walking into a branch or doing online banking out of town. Just recently, a customer living in Virginia emailed the local office to thank them for a quick response regarding her account. The woman continues to bank with Marquette — even though there are no Marquette branches nearby. “She does not feel valued at other banking locations, and we have provided her with outstanding customer service,” explains Edwards. “That’s an example of the ‘hometown touch’ at work.” Trusted and Experienced Lenders A reputation for service is one of the many reasons that customers turn to Marquette for their lending needs. Today, the bank services more than $500 million in loans in properties located in Erie and Crawford counties. Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer Louis J. Natalie has been with Marquette for 34 years, beginning as a management trainee and working in all aspects of lending and retail banking. His focus is lending because he felt that could make a positive impact on his clients’ lives, “by making one of the largest purchases of their life a good experience.” Branch managers and assistant managers are also loan officers who handle clients’ needs throughout the mortgage process. At Marquette, that includes experienced bankers, many with more than 30 years of experience. “Our lenders, both on the personal and business side form relationships with our clients from the initial contact,” says Natalie. “We recognize that buying your home or business is one of the largest decisions people will make and by working with them as a team, we earn their trust.” The approach distinguishes Marquette and its loan officers from other institutions, placing emphasis on the value of the customer, not a “transaction.” “In this difficult economy, it is nice to know that the person you are relying on to help you with such an important decision is a true professional who has seen most every twist that may come up,” says Natalie. “They have the knowledge to answer their clients’ questions and help make this process a good one.” This relationship-driven banking experience is why the “Hometown Bank with the Hometown Touch” continues to be the bank of choice — on the retail and business banking side — for so many in the region. “Marquette has been the local community bank for more than 100 years,” states Natalie. “Our decisions are made locally with the Erie and Crawford county communities in mind.” Marquette’s Business Banking Division was created in 2009 to better serve the banking needs of area businesses. Shown here are, front row, from left: Administrative Assistant Beverly Schneider and Senior Vice President & Business Banking Manager David Slomski. Back row, from left: Vice President & Senior Business Banker Eugene Cirka, Assistant Vice President & Credit Analyst Sherry Waller and Assistant Secretary & Business Banker James Jackson. 14 < www.mbabizmag.com < April 2012 . Business Banking / Page 12 The ‘Hometown Bank’ Brings the ‘Hometown Touch’ to Business Banking In business, you want to surround yourself with the right. BUSINESS M A G A Z I N E VOLUME XXV, NUMBER 4 APRIL 2012 Manufacturer & Business Association The ‘Hometown Bank’ Brings the ‘Hometown Touch’ to Business