A large crowd gathered Friday for an official Groundbreaking Ceremony in Centre – a ceremony that a lot of people have been anxiously awaiting as it marks the beginning of construction on a brand new, full service Farmers & Merchants bank branch, 1225 Chesnut Bypass:
That’s company president Chris Latta – who spoke with WEIS Radio News afterwards and he shared with us some of the things that the new branch will offer upon opening for business – combining the latest, most advanced technology available, with down-home, old-fashioned service:
In closing, Mr. Latta summed up what he feels a bank should represent, do, and be as part of their community:
A Brief History of Farmers & Merchants Bank
In 1915, Charley N. Thompson founded Farmers & Merchants Bank. His aim was to provide our community with a bank that would be responsive to the financial needs of families and business owners largely ignored by bigger-city banks.
Farmers & Merchants Bank embraced the notions of exceptional personal service and comprehensive financial solutions as the foundation of our mission. We’ve continued to focus on these goals while growing into a solid, strong financial entity that everyone can rely on.
The day we first opened our doors for business in Piedmont, we did so with $15,000 in assets. Since then, we have seen the Great Depression, World Wars, and even the Financial Crisis.
We opened our first branch in Anniston in 1989, and continued to increase our footprint in Calhoun County with additional branches in Jacksonville in 1995 and Oxford in 1998. We opened the doors to a new facility in Piedmont in 2009. Our next move took us outside of Calhoun County as we opened our first Loan Production Office in Centre in 2018.
We have always held true to Mr. Thompson’s original goal; however, he never could have imagined a customer checking their balance or making a deposit without coming in the bank. Farmers & Merchants Bank has grown and prospered because we have never failed to honor our commitment to service, solutions, and strength. Ours is truly a tradition of excellence…since 1915.
