Banner Bank helped Mark go local.
Seattle resident Mark Watkins had always banked with the big guys because he thought they had the services he needed. When business was good, everything was fine. But when the market turned in 2009, the big banks didn’t seem to want his business.
As the owner of a cabinet manufacturer, Mark felt the joy and pain of the housing bubble. “When things were going well, it seemed the banks couldn’t give you enough money,” he recalls. “When things changed, the doors slammed shut.”
Finally, when delays at Mark’s bank nearly caused him to lose an investment property, he decided to make a change and go local. And Banner Bank was there.
Banking changed, but Banner didn’t,” says Mark. “They stayed true to their values.
“I went in, told them my situation, and they said, ‘No problem,’” he says. “They don’t send loans to somebody in New York, they look at them right here. So we got the loan and saved the property. After that, I moved all my accounts to Banner.”
In Mark’s business, relationships are important. That’s why he values his relationships at Banner where they’re on a first-name basis. “I love being able to call my branch and just say, ‘Hi, it’s Mark,’ and they know me. It’s a great feeling.”
Mark knows he can count on Banner when he needs them, no matter what the other banks are doing.
“I don’t see myself banking anywhere else but Banner,” he says. “We’ve got projects down the line, and I plan to work with Banner on all of them.”
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