Business View Magazine | April/May 2022

147 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 4 ALDEN STATE BANK big part of community banking is understanding who you are and who your customer is. We still make sure there is somebody that answers the phone, and I do think there is a spot for those who want that specific customer service that we can offer, but I also think, as an industry, there will be more consolidation.” For Alden State Bank, the future includes the same focus on top-quality service and innovation that the bank has been providing for over 100 years. There is also an ongoing effort to maintain the strong partnerships within the community. Woodard shares, “There are a lot of times people come to us for advice, things that maybe we don’t offer, but we want to be that resource for the community. As far as being a partner in the community, we always want to make sure that what we are doing is not just in our best interest, but also in the best interest of the community we serve.” Acknowledging that one of Alden State’s strengths is real estate, Krempa confirms, “There is a lot of opportunity here in this market, because the real estate here is affordable to people, but there is also development that’s been going on for a number of years that I think will continue. We are well positioned to be a part of that, going forward for a number of years.” Summing it up, Koelbl offers his thoughts, suggesting, “We will need to grow because of some of the burdens, not the least of which is regulatory, but we want to keep the same disposition of how we do things for the community.” Staying true to their motto of ‘Giving Back Since 1916’, Alden State Bank shows continued commitment to community-focused banking; providing exceptional financial services, while also giving back to the communities they serve. Buffalo. So, for the businesses in town, there’s a few where there’s been a couple of generations of ownership, but as far as growth goes, it’s heading closer to Buffalo. The Lancaster and Clarence branches are where most of that activity would be.” Moving forward, there are plans to invest in operational software, improving efficiencies for the bank. These improvements will be targeted to the internal workings of Alden State, resulting in overall enhancements to the customer experience. “Our niche, where we have somewhat of a marketing advantage, is that we’re still the community bank that people can come in and talk to,” Koelbl says. “We need the technology however, to be able to do that with customers.” As for the future of the community banking industry, Woodard believes there will be an uptick in consolidation, a trend which has slowed during the pandemic. He emphasizes, “A Print Promotion and Beyond... Customized print and promotional products, including wearables. www.notablecorp.com 4240 Ridge Lea Road, Amherst, NY 14226 | (800) 724-2870