customers in our bank working with them to work through their financial issues that they have, whether it’s in their home loan or their checking account,” Wolfe explains. This hands-on approach carries into lending decisions. The bank maintains flexibility that larger institutions cannot match, particularly with agricultural customers who have established longterm relationships. “We rarely have; I can’t tell you the last time we had a foreclosure on a residential real estate loan. We work with our customers to make that work for them,”Wolfe says.The secondary mortgage market shows little interest in home loans under $50,000, yet properties at that price point exist throughout the bank’s territory. “We have homes, believe it or not, in our communities that have a purchase price of $50,000 or less, and there is no other place to go,” Wolfe notes. United Bank & Trust warehouses these loans in its own portfolio, serving markets that larger lenders ignore. Marysville’s median household income of $61,607 means affordable housing remains essential for local workers. TECHNOLOGY AND EFFICIENCY WITHOUT LOSING THE HUMAN TOUCH United Bank & Trust operates with remarkable efficiency for an institution approaching $900 million in assets. With roughly 100 employees managing $875 million, the bank achieves nearly $9 million in assets per employee, placing it in the 85th percentile among peer institutions.Technology makes this possible, but Wolfe insists the bank will not sacrifice personal relationships for operational gains. “We use technology to a large extent,” Wolfe says. “In order to be able to operate in those smaller communities, we have to provide the technology for them to communicate not only with the bank, but with the customers. We have online applications that our customers can use.” The bank provides employees with tools that enhance efficiency rather than replace human judgment.Artificial intelligence is the next frontier, though implementation requires careful consideration.“We have to embrace AI in our industry. I can’t tell you that we’re specifically using 131 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 11 UNITED BANK & TRUST
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