Florida Banking August 2023

Preserving Hometown Hospitality Barwick Banking Company:

F ounded in 1907 in Barwick, Ga., Barwick Bank has a longstanding history within the community and embraces the southern hospitality of its hometown. When new ownership took over the 116-year-old bank in early 2020, it was important that they respected the bank’s legacy while tactfully implementing plans to modernize and expand the footprint from South Georgia to North Florida. “The Barwick community really embraced us,” said Barwick Bank President and CEO Chad Bowling. “We weren’t sure how that was going to go, initially, with us Floridians coming up to be a part of their hometown bank. We promised that we weren’t going to come in and change everything, or take things away.” Bowling was part of a group of businessmen from St.

“Our customers were very happy to have debit cards and online banking capabilities,” Bowling said. “The advancements have been well received in both Barwick and Florida. Without branches on every corner, it’s important for us to have that technology for our business customers.” In just three years, the bank has experienced significant growth. “When we purchased the bank, it was a $13 million bank. Very conservative. Now we’re $370 million in assets. So over three years, we’ve grown quite a bit,” said Executive Vice Chairman Jim Bange. “We came in and converted the bank to a core system. But in that time, we’ve also worked to preserve the culture of hometown hospitality and care for the community.”

Augustine who purchased a majority interest in the bank. The group reassured former President Fred Jones that they planned to keep the Barwick branch open, having recognized its value to the community. The bank was born out of a dream of some local families to bring banking to their town; since its founding in 1907, the bank has been locally owned. Jones was appointed president in 1979 and continues to serve on the board of directors today. While the bank charter is in Georgia and the original Barwick branch continues to have local management, the holding company is headquartered in St. Augustine.

The bank’s team of four has grown to 53 to accommodate the digital banking launch and rapid growth. Many of Bowling’s management team previously worked with him at Reunion Bank of Florida (which sold to Alabama National in 2015), including Bange. “Chad and I and the rest of our team have worked together for a number of years,” Bange said. “We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and we take care of each other. That’s important to us.” The team has very little employee turnover and is particularly proud of the loyalty of both its staff and customers. As

“WE CAME IN AND CONVERTED THE BANK TO A CORE SYSTEM. BUT IN THAT TIME, WE’VE ALSO WORKED TO PRESERVE THE CULTURE OF HOMETOWN HOSPITALITY AND CARE FOR THE COMMUNITY.”

- JIM BANGE

Bowling and Bange assured former bank president Jones, they intended to preserve and nurture the culture of hometown hospitality that was so deeply felt in Barwick. In St. Augustine, bank customers appreciate the fitting “coastal vibe.” The bank’s market executive has surfboards in his office; when the waves are good, surfing with other locals is a great opportunity to do business. Bange says the team forgoes coats and ties. The bank branch in Daytona Beach has a beer tap (sourced by a local brewery, of course). The check stands and boardroom table are made from local wood. Barwick Banking Company, Continued on page 10

“We were very involved with the Barwick team on a daily basis, and always asked for their opinions. We wanted to grow and evolve the bank while using the processes that were already in place,” Bowling said. “I think including them in those kinds of decisions was crucial. We’re all in this together. We didn’t want to run the bank like a dictatorship. We wanted to do what was best for the communities, clients and shareholders.” One key change was implementing new technology and a core provider. Before its sale in 2020, Barwick Bank had no debit cards or online banking. The staff ran ledger books and didn’t have an electronic banking system.

WWW.FLORIDABANKERS.COM AUGUST 2023 — 9