COVER STORY | LOCAL PROFILE
Marquette Savings Bank Chief Executive Officer Michael B. Edwards, Senior Vice President of Business Banking David Slomski and Chief Credit Officer Louis J. Natalie are committed to investing in long-term relationships with area employers that will help businesses and the community grow.
THE HOMETOWN BANK Why Local Decision Making by Local Lenders Matters to Your Business
Marquette Savings Bank is the only remaining locally headquartered bank in Erie, Pennsylvania where every loan decision is a local decision made by local lenders. Localized decisions deliver hard-to-find advantages for businesses throughout Erie and Crawford counties such as: responsiveness, flexibility, speed, availability and commitment to local business — factors that can make the difference between achieving business goals and falling short. The business community has responded very well resulting in consistent growth year after year for Marquette’s Business Banking division. RECORD-BREAKING GROWTH In addition to local management, Marquette’s strong capital position also has contributed to the bank’s success in the commercial market. David Slomski, senior vice president of Business Banking, comments about Marquette’s success, “Our business banking portfolio realized its seventh consecutive record year. In 2016, Marquette Business Banking exceeded loan growth expectations by 32 percent
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MARCH 2017 • mbabizmag.com
and achieved a total loan portfolio increase of nearly 20 percent in one year. This increase was due to the variety of loans Marquette closed — ranging from as low as $10,000 up to several million dollars — as well as the sheer volume of loans written.” Business growth has come from all industry sectors from manufacturing to contracting, warehousing to wholesaling, health care, professional services and commercial real estate. Keeping up with growth while maintaining a high level of customer service demands continued investment in people, processes and facilities. “Over the past 12 months, we have established a Business Banking wing at our Main Office in Erie and have converted the South Main Street Office in Meadville to a strictly Business Banking facility to accommodate our growth. Our seasoned business bankers continue to build their respective books of business while we make significant investments in software to further increase efficiency and turnaround time for our customers,” says Michael Edwards, Marquette Savings Bank’s chief executive officer.