At Countybank, serving others is at the heart of who we are. Born during the financial strife and struggle of the Great Depression in 1933, our organization was founded by a group of business leaders in the Upstate who wanted to ensure there was a trusted, dependable bank available to serve the needs of the community during a time when many banks were closing their doors.
Today, our vision and mission remain the same. Our vision is simple: To Serve YOU! And our mission—the reason our associates report to work each day—is To Serve Our Clients, Our Communities, and One Another. On behalf of the entire Countybank family, I want to thank our Upstate community for allowing us to serve you during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the business of banking, sometimes we think we’ve seen everything: deregulation, sky-high interest rates, economic expansion, a Great Recession—the list goes on and on. But in our lifetime we’ve never faced a global pandemic like COVID-19, one that has proven to affect every aspect of our lives. And I am most proud in times like these to serve in this essential industry, where at Countybank we can demonstrate one of our core values: Putting People First.
Early in the year, Countybank began monitoring the coronavirus outbreak in China. Our associates demonstrated leadership by implementing a swift, measured response to the spread of COVID-19, and as the situation continued to escalate, they worked diligently to ensure the continuity of our services for our customers and our community.
Our associates began calling our customers to determine how the pandemic was financially impacting them. Why? Because serving others is at the heart of who we are, and at Countybank we believe Putting People First really matters. We talked with our small business customers to advise them of the upcoming Paycheck Protection Program (PPP loans) before it was introduced by the SBA.
We also quickly transitioned to drive-thru only operations, extended our customer service call center hours, and released a mobile wallet option to provide our customers a safe, contactless method of payment. Of course, service is no new endeavor for our organization.
Since 2015 alone, Countybank has given more than $1 million to the communities we serve, and our associates have consistently stepped up to volunteer countless hours with schools, community events, and charitable organizations in the Upstate. From our time to our talents to our resources, every step of the way we take our vision—Serving YOU!—very seriously.
Most recently, Countybank was honored to serve the community by participating in the Small Business Administration’s PPP loans. As an SBA Preferred Lender, our experienced staff dedicated themselves to this loan program from day one, working around the clock to ensure that our small business customers quickly received much-needed funding.
The result? Countybank has processed almost 600 PPP loans for over $60 million in funding for businesses in the Upstate. Many banks chose not to participate in the PPP loans, were slow to get started, or they limited the businesses for which they would process loan applications. Our employees quickly recognized the critical need for these PPP loans, and Countybank processed loans as small as $750 for small businesses in need.
We trust that the work we are doing is just one important step to ensuring small businesses in our Upstate communities
land on their feet when we get on the other side of COVID-19. Please know that Countybank is here for the members of this community, whatever your financial needs may be.
As a local, community bank, we are Putting People First, standing shoulder to shoulder with you as we navigate these
uncertain times.
Thank you for allowing us To Serve YOU!
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