Central National’s size provides advantages without sacrificing personal relationships. The bank offers sophisticated technology platforms and lending capacity that smaller institutions struggle to match, yet customers still interact with bankers who live in their towns.“We really want to make sure all of our customers know that they have a handshake and a friendly face that they know right in their hometown that they can do business with,” Girard explains.“And we keep that model everywhere we go.” Branch managers lead through corporate citizenship, serving on local boards and volunteering in schools, creating ties that transcend typical business transactions. BANKING WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE Central National has reimagined where banking happens, placing seven branches inside Walmart Super Centers across Kansas.The strategy addresses a fundamental shift in customer behavior as mobile banking reduces traditional branch traffic. “We feel like you need to be where the people are,” Girard says.“If you’re in a bank branch today, in some of our communities, there’s not a lot of traffic in the lobby simply because customers are used to using their mobile phone to access their financial institution. So being in Walmart has given us a bank lobby with a lot of foot traffic on a daily basis.” The Walmart locations prove particularly valuable in college towns. Branches in Lawrence and Manhattan serve students at the University of Kansas and Kansas State University, many of whom already bank with Central National. “A lot of those students moved from other Kansas towns and are already banking with us or their parents are,” Girard notes. “It’s a natural fit to continue that. Again, the ‘Money for Life’ philosophy.”The bank’s mobile app, rated 4.1 out of 5 stars by users, exceeds the national average of 3.8 for banking applications. Interactive Teller Machines extend service hours at multiple locations, allowing customers to bank from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Unlike standard ATMs, these machines connect customers via video to live tellers in Topeka who handle any transaction a person across a desk would perform. “That’s been helpful to offer extended hours of service,” Girard says. The bank’s most unconventional space sits in Wichita’s 107 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 12 CENTRAL NATIONAL BANK
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