Message from the President

Delivering on the Great Bank Promise

The process of writing an article for each of the Our Neighbor Connection Newsletters presents a perfect opportunity for an on-going self-assessment of the bank. I repeatedly pose the question - How are we doing? Has the bank’s philosophy and focus remained on point?

As I thought about how to craft this edition, I read the article printed in the first newsletter from June 2001. I was surprised it has been over 18 years; I was not really keeping track as the years flew by. Thankfully I was not surprised regarding the content of that article. I wrote “Citizens State Bank operates under a fundamental Core Purpose: To promote financial opportunities for our customers through innovative products and personalized service.”

The innovative product highlighted in the summer of 2001 was the bank’s website along with the convenience and security of Internet Banking. The article summarized Citizens State Bank as: “Great products. Great service. Great customers.”

Here we are today. What makes a great bank and does Citizens State Bank look and act like a great bank through the eyes of our customers and community?

Here is how I see Citizens State Bank:

• Great people you know and trust. Our employees work hard to earn your trust because we understand its value – priceless!
• Consistency and reliability. We don’t run hot and then cold. Our customers count on us to be steady and to understand their requirements. We stand with the relationships we have built.
• Logical technology. Our decisions are based upon bringing our customers value, convenience and security. We understand customers expect innovation but they don’t want constant change. If it makes sense – you will find it here.
• Transparent fees. It should not be hard to figure out the features and costs, if any, of a bank product or service. Our products are designed to be of value to our customers. Don’t put up with other banks that operate with strange policies, quotas, punitive fees and constant strings attached to offers and products.
• Community support. We are personally invested in our customers, our employees and our community. This is where we do our business – it is not “one of our markets.” We pull our weight and provide support for our community in many ways. The community doesn’t have to win a multi-state campaign or fill out a maze of online request forms to gain our community support.
• Local decisions. Our customers talk directly with people who provide answers and make decisions. Bank leadership is right here – not in the next county, state or at the corporate headquarters thousands of miles away.
• Last but not least – interest rates. Citizens State Bank believes a fair deal is supposed to be good for both the customer and the bank. We offer interest rates on deposit accounts that are generally at or near the top of the marketplace survey. The large banks offer rates so low their customers are almost paying the bank each month to hold the deposit. If you don’t bank with us yet, check your account statement and call us for a comparison. Our loan customers value our steady, long-term relationships and they appreciate our straight-forward, no strings attached approach.

We are committed to serving you in a friendly and professional manner whether you enter through our door or through our technology. We thank and appreciate all our customers who have chosen Citizens State Bank to be their great bank.

Person to person. Neighbor to neighbor.
Yesterday, today and tomorrow.