Independent Banker - May 2019 - 41

Pioneer Trust Bank:
Blending the past with
the present
Founded in 1924 and solely a trust operation until 1968,
Pioneer Trust Bank was one of the few banks west of the
Mississippi to survive
the Great Depression,
says Randy Compton,
CEO and co-chair of
the board.
Today, it deals
mostly with
commercial and
single-family real
estate, commercial
and industrial,
multi-family, and
#12
Pioneer Trust Bank
Salem, Ore.
Assets: $501.3 million
3-yr average ROA: 2.32%
pioneertrustbank.com
home equity lines of credit, concentrating on its
community and small businesses.
Almost every new customer who walks into the
$501.3 million-asset community bank is a referral.
Compton has been with Pioneer Trust Bank for 42
years and is now working with third-generation
family businesses. " You can spend a lot of money
on advertising, " he says, " but the best advertising is
word-of-mouth and a solid reputation. "
Having both the trust operation and the banking
operation is ideal, he says, because Pioneer Trust Bank
is there for people throughout their lives and careers.
This commitment to continuity is evident in the bank's
physical setup, too: There are no private offi ces or
upstairs suites for staff or offi cers. " We're all out in
front of the bank when you walk in, " Compton says.
The past decade was a challenge for Pioneer Trust
Bank, as it was for the industry as a whole. However,
the bank was able to work through any loan issues
without calling any loans or reducing credit lines. " We
worked with everybody and got through it very well, "
says Compton. " As a result, over the past fi ve years
especially, our growth has been in the double-digitper-year
asset growth, and our loan growth has been
averaging 15 percent a year for the past fi ve years. "
The U.S. economy is slowing a bit, and the biggest
concern that Compton has is staying ahead of the
curve. He doesn't see a recession ahead, but he
believes the market is going to be a little diff erent.
" We've been meeting with our loan customers and
discussing these issues and preparing them as well, "
he says, " and we're strengthening balance sheets and
income statements. " Pioneer Trust is ready for the
next chapter in its history.
Illustration: Joel Kimmel
Q&A
Bill Wiedel Jr., president and
CEO, CFG Community Bank
CFG Community Bank is both a commercial bank and also
operates a nationwide healthcare fi nance business.
Q: What sets CFG apart from other banks?
We lend to skilled nursing facilities under a
Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) program and ultimately sell the loans to Wall Street
as GNMA Project bonds. We service about $3 billion in HUD
loans. For healthcare customers that need funding faster
... we off er bridge loans. We also off er accounts-receivable
fi nancing to our nationwide skilled nursing customers. HUD
has never lost money on a loan originated by CFG.
On the Maryland
commercial bank side, I
believe the quality of our
relationship managers and
our ability to serve our
clients in a timely manner
sets us apart. We tailor to
commercial and personal
customers and their
banking needs. CFG is
owned by an entrepreneur,
and that entrepreneurial
#3
CFG Community Bank
Baltimore, Md.
Assets: $832.3 million
3-yr average ROA: 2.83%
cfgcommunitybank.com
A:
spirit pervades our organization. It attracts like-minded,
talented people. And this is also the profi le of our client base.
It is a natural fi t. We are small enough to be able to give clients
access to not only the president but also the owner of the bank.
Q: CFG was founded in 1927 as
La Corona Building and Loan
Association. What else has
changed in that time?
A:
Most everything has
changed. Jack Dwyer
purchased what was then called
AmericasBank in 2009. He
integrated the healthcare fi nance
business he had run for 20
years. However, he felt it
was important to continue
to serve the local business
community as well. His goal is
to be as successful in the commercial
William C. " Bill " Wiedel, Jr.
banking sector serving the central Maryland market as he
has been in his national healthcare fi nance business.
Kathryn Jackson Fallon is a writer in New York.
independentbanker.org Q 41
http://www.pioneertrustbank.com http://www.cfgcommunitybank.com http://www.independentbanker.org
Independent Banker - May 2019

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