The Villages - May 2011 - (Page 64)
Citizens First Bank
Business Briefs Retail Briefs
The Villages’ community bank finished last year in strong form. Citizens First Bank earned four-star rankings during each of the four quarters last year from Coral Gables-based BauerFinancial Inc., the nation’s leading bank-ratings firm.
Four stars equate to excellence, said BauerFinancial analyst Caroline Jervey. Consumers can interpret this as a measure of comfort that the bank is safe, sound and secure. “Citizens First has been rated four stars for the entire year, four consecutive quarters,” Jervey said. “They are a growing institution. They’re a good, solid bank.” A check of the bank’s required capital ratios confirms Jervey’s analysis. Rules published by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. require U.S. banks to record a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of at least 8 percent to qualify as a “strong bank.” The Villages’ community bank exceeded that threshold with a risk-based capital ratio of 14.099 percent for the year ended Dec. 31. FDIC rules also require U.S. banks to record a leverage capital ratio of at least 4 percent to qualify as a “strong bank.” The community bank also exceeded the leverage capital ratio with 6.701 percent for the year. Such strong financial performance also came as the bank continued to grow, the latest FDIC financial reports show. For the first time, the bank’s total deposits exceeded $1 billion, according to FDIC data for the quarter ended Dec. 31.
The Villages Golf Cars
In a move to give Villagers more consumer choice, The Villages Golf Cars has expanded its product line. The popular golf cart dealership has added Tomberlin electric golf carts to a retail product mix that already included Yamaha, Polaris and Yesteryear brands. “I know we’ve got the best gas product available now with Yamaha,” Ernie Keckonen, the golf cart dealership’s sales manager, said. “Tomberlin is strictly an electric golf car manufacturer like Polaris. We’re just empowering the consumer by offering them choices in electric cars.” Consumers may evaluate this new product line at any one of The Villages Golf Cars’ three retail outlets in La Plaza Grande Shopping Center, Lake Sumter Landing Market Square and Colony Plaza Shopping Center. For more information, call 750-3410, La Plaza Grande; 753-6750, Sumter Landing; or 751-3360, Colony Plaza. The fast-growing, Augusta, Ga.-based company that Mike Tomberlin founded has quickly made a big impression in the golf cart industry. And The Villages has made a big impression on the golf cart manufacturer. “There is nothing like The Villages, in my opinion,” said Beve Martin, a Tomberlin corporate field trainer.
MAY 2011
GO & DO
“It’s unbelievable.” So, Martin and his staff sold hard Tomberlin’s safety features to Keckonen and his staff. The pitch impressed Keckonen. “What we really like about it is the safety features, the four-wheel brakes, in particular,” Keckonen said. “And prices are very good, comparable with the rest of our offerings.”
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Villages - May 2011
The Villages - May 2011
Contents
24 Hours in the Villages
Golf Memories
Get Your Motor Running... Tips for Buying a Golf Cart
Mother’s Day Gifts
The St. James and Tamarind Grove Neighborhood Centers
Dreammaker
Meaning of Memorial Day
Pets
Major Events
Health
Sports and Recreation
Food
Snapshots
Business Briefs
The Villages - May 2011
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