or ownership that can buy the bank, but they want them to be very involved in those communities.”The strategy targets a specific need in rural Kansas, where many community banks face succession challenges but resist absorption by regional or national chains. The growth trajectory indicates deliberate acquisition planning rather than opportunistic expansion. Worrell, who has worked in and around community banking since 1974, starting in public accounting, brings institutional knowledge to each transaction. “We ask that our people be very involved in those communities,” he says.“What we’ve tried to do is take off the regulatory burden that they have and let them focus on their customers more to take care of them.” A CULTURE OF FLEXIBILITY - FOR CUSTOMERS AND EMPLOYEES Flexibility isn’t just marketing rhetoric at Vintage Bank Kansas. The institution has built systems that allow customers to conduct full banking transactions from anywhere. “We have what’s called VBK Chat, which is where a customer can be sitting at home or they can be riding in their tractor with their phone,” Worrell says.“They can call us and they can be sitting right in front of our loan officer or a customer service representative talking to them face to face and doing what they need to do. They can sign documents online with that customer service rep or the loan officer.” The technology addresses a fundamental challenge in agricultural communities where timing matters. Farmers can’t always wait until 5 p.m. to handle financial transactions, nor can they necessarily make it to a branch during standard hours. DocuSign capabilities further augment this accessibility, allowing customers to complete paperwork after hours when their workday finally ends. This customer-focused flexibility mirrors the bank’s approach to its workforce. Jenalee Stucky, Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer, explains the employee value proposition.“While 10 of those communities are not within the Wichita metropolitan area, they certainly are close enough where they could work in downtown Wichita with a 30 minute or 40 minute drive, but they would prefer to stay in their communities so they can go to muffins with VINTAGE BANK KANSAS
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTI5MjAx