It’s not just about interest rates, fees, and office hours. We don’t win customers because we have convenient ATMs or branches nearby. The real story of our success involves a great deal more.

An American Bankers Association study a few years back found that more than half of bank customers believe that having a relationship of trust with their financial institution is more important than getting the best return on their money or the lowest interest rate on a loan.

TRUST, in other words, wins out over price. BANKWEST believes that trust is built on the intangibles of banking — the stuff that doesn’t necessarily make it onto the bank’s bottom line. High ethical standards, commitment to our community and concern for the welfare of others are keys to building that trust.

You know that we help families buy homes, help small businesses get off the ground, and that lending leads to new jobs and healthy local economies. But these financial investments aren’t the entire story. It’s our leadership and volunteer work that really makes the difference in the communities we serve.

Our staff is committed to sharing with our fellow citizens the responsibility of creating and sustaining a quality environment for our families and businesses. Their involvement in the community we serve is evident as we care about our neighbors, offer them support, and help make our communities a safer and better place to live.

Our entire staff spends countless hours volunteering in our communities through organizations like the Rotary; the Lions Club; Chamber of Commerce; local churches; school committees; historical society; RiverWorks, just to name a few.

We are tremendously proud of our staff for their volunteering efforts and what they achieve. We have a saying in our family: wherever you live, make it the best place it can be. We emphasize that and want every staff person to know that he or she has something of value to give. That’s the reason BANKWEST implemented values and expectations that we all strive to live by.

We’re pleased to have been building a legacy of caring for over 60 years. We will continue to live out our belief that valuing and caring for people is what really makes a difference.

Sincerely,

Steven J. Huston
CEO, President, Owner

Shirley H. Larson
Chair of Board, Owner