With nearly 200 associates and a global footprint of 20 offices, spread across six countries and 24 states and provinces, Albany-based F&W Forestry is truly a global company. And with its emphasis on utilizing cutting-edge technology to meet the needs of land owners large and small, it’s no wonder the company has carved out a world-wide niche as an industry leader in forest land management. 

Upon closer inspection, however, the success that has spurred the company through more than 60 years of growth and innovation is rooted in something seemingly simpler—but, often far more elusive—than an international presence and the use of emerging technology—the art of building relationships. 

Much like AB&T, which handles F&W’s banking needs, forging deep and lasting connections lies at the core of what they do and has been part and parcel to its success, since foresters and businessmen Eley Frazer and Frank Wetherbee founded the company in 1962. 

Whether it’s the company’s dealings with land owners and Timberland Investment Management Organizations (TIMOs) in South America, the UK, France, the U.S. West Coast, or right here in Southwest Georgia, everything the company does starts with, and eventually comes back to, relationships. 

“Our client relationships tend to be long-term, where we get to know the client, they get to know us and we get to where we fit together really well,” said F&W President Marshall Thomas. “We work together and become a team meeting the client’s objectives. That’s what I look for in the people that I hire and that I work with. 

“And that’s the relationship we have with AB&T.” 

The genesis of that relationship, Thomas explained, actually dates back to a time when another institution was handling the company’s banking needs, and he first met his current banker and AB&T President Matt Rushton. 

Such were Thomas’s impressions, that years later he knew exactly who to call when it was time to make a switch and find a more suitable banking partner. 

According to Thomas, as the banks he’d been dealing with continued to grow and alter their decision-making processes, it became clear that those institutions weren’t a viable option for a rapidly expanding F&W. 

“I had dealt with larger banks in the area in the past, and as their operations became more centralized, they were unable to finance some business that didn’t fit into their mold, or that they didn’t understand,” Thomas said. “As they grew and they started to hear that we burned woods, or that we bought a business in the UK, they just didn’t get it. 

“They weren’t sophisticated enough to understand our business because you’ve got to fit in their certain (industry) category. If you don’t fit into one of those categories, what they understand, they don’t get you. They don’t want to do business with you. 

“I look to my bank to have the same relationship that I have with my clients—a long-term relationship where the bank understands my needs, understands my business and is able to customize their products to meet my needs,” Thomas continued. “That’s exactly what we try to do for our customers and I look for the same thing in the bank. And AB&T has always been able to do that.” 

And in addition to Rushton and the rest of the AB&T team taking the time to understand F&W’s operations and culture, Thomas added that he sees something else that is critical to both his company and in his dealings with his bank. 

“We have a level of trust with them that’s been developed through experience, so I trust them,” he said matter-of-factly. “And I think they trust me. 

“And that lets us be able to aggressively run and grow this business and aggressively run and grow it all over the United States and in foreign countries. Matt understands our business and understands us as people. It took one call and our banking relationship was changed.” 

Of course, where Thomas sees something unique and special in AB&T, for Rushton, treating clients with respect and taking the time to form true partnerships with those he serves is essentially second nature, and something that’s at the core of AB&T’s approach to banking—no matter the size, complexity or geographic location of a client. 

“At the end of the day, banking isn’t all that complicated,” Matt said when discussing his approach to managing relationships. “We all offer the same products. But what sets AB&T apart is our focus on the client and working to understand the complexities in their business and their industry. By knowing the playing field they’re operating on, and taking the time to understand the company and its people, we can craft solutions that encompass the entire picture and truly meet their needs. And if we have to tweak something to fit their operational plan, we’ll figure out a way to make it happen. 

“The more we understand the client, the better equipped we are in helping them find success, be it right here in Southwest Georgia or halfway across the globe.” 

It’s that level of client understanding, and attention to detail, that Rushton believes has not only set AB&T apart in the mind of clients, but has been at the forefront of the bank’s recent success, which once again was reflected by the company’s performance in the first quarter of 2023. 

Through the first quarter, AB&T saw average loans increase 4.1 percent compared to the first quarter of 2022, which helped fuel Net Revenue growth of 55.7 percent for the quarter, compared to 1Q22, and a 185.1 percent increase in Net Income, compared to the first quarter of last year. 

That performance also helped increase Average Stockholder Equity by 11.2 percent for the first quarter of 2023, compared to the same period of 2022. The bank’s leverage ratio also improved to 10.12 percent at the end of March. AB&T’s asset quality remains strong, with Non-Performing Assets as a Percent of Total Assets improved to 0.00 percent from 1.26% in the first quarter of 2022. 

As of March 31, AB&T reported Diluted Earnings per Share of $0.84 and the Fully Diluted Book Value per Share at quarter end was $17.90. 

With strong credit quality, diligent expense management and an unyielding focus on forging powerful, lasting relationships, there’s no doubt AB&T is primed for continued success throughout 2023 and beyond.