Flint Community Bank Aims For Calculated Growth
Monday, May 3rd, 2010
Scott Tomlinson, president and chief executive officer of Flint Community Bank, calls himself a salesman at heart. However, given the current economic and regulatory outlook, Tomlinson is targeting what he calls calculated growth for Flint in 2010.
“There’s still plenty of demand for loans but we don’t have the luxury in today’s economy of making every loan. We want to be intimately involved with our customers to understand their strategic planning and their capacity to repay a loan,” Tomlinson explained.
As a result, the bank is doing business with those customers it knows well. Growth in 2010 will be very deliberate, based on strong customer knowledge and relationships. According to Tomlinson, growth may be limited and that’s fine with him.
An intense media, political and regulatory climate
With the media still reporting new details of the 2008 financial crisis and government leaders considering new financial regulations, the business climate for banks is more complicated than ever. According to Tomlinson, Flint chose not to accept TARP funds from the federal government last year to avoid any more government intervention in their business.
“As a community bank, we’re on the opposite end of the ‘too big to fail’ spectrum. We’re too small to save,” Tomlinson said. “That means we live and die by our own decisions and we like it that way. We can control our own destiny by staying in good shape.”
Built on customer relationships
Tomlinson and his team built Flint Community Bank from scratch over the last four years. As a community bank, Flint serves all consumers and all businesses, large and small, in the greater Albany community.
The bank has always focused on developing deep customer relationships. For a business customer, that can mean understanding the business outlook, plans for growth, cash flows and capital needs.
“We stay in touch with our customers all the time. I think that’s one of the biggest advantages we have,” Tomlinson said.
A community feel with a dose of technology
Call the main phone number for Flint and you will always speak to a member of the Flint team. That personal, “community” feel is essential to the bank’s customer service philosophy. However, Flint’s customer service leverages some of the most advanced banking technologies.
For example, business customers can use remote deposit capture technology to make check deposits from their own offices. Checks can be scanned in and transmitted electronically for deposit into the customer’s Flint account.
Flint’s online banking system is easy to use and offers 24/7 convenience. Consumer and business customers can go online to pay bills, transfer funds between accounts and download account statements and other documentation.
And with one location in Albany and limited ATM access, the bank decided long ago to pay ATM fees for Flint customers. According to Tomlinson, it’s all part of Flint’s strategy to use technology and operating policies to minimize capital spending.
A great place to do business
Ask Tomlinson about doing business in Albany and you quickly understand his appreciation for the community.
“Although we have our share of problems, Albany has so many positives: low cost of living, top-notch medical facilities and its role as a retail hub for about 15 surrounding counties,” he said.
According to Tomlinson, community banking is about serving the people of Albany. Local leaders are members of Flint’s Board of Directors, which means the bank is in tune with the needs of Albany and the surrounding area.
“Serving a community sounds simple, but it’s profound if you can do it well. That’s what we try to do at Flint,” Tomlinson said.
For more information on Flint Community Bank, visit www.flintcommunitybank.com
