SPENCER - First Neighborhood Bank has been a part of the communities they serve for a century.
The bank, with branches in Spencer and Parkersburg, is celebrating its 100th anniversary.
''We have been around for 100 years,'' said Douglass Swearingen, senior vice president. ''We have been a strong bank throughout that time.
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The teller line at what would become First Neighborhood Bank in Spencer in this undated photo. The bank is celebrating its 100th anniversary.
''In this day and age when a lot of banks are having trouble, community banks like ours are still very strong because they try to serve their local communities rather than getting into areas they don't know.
''That has been a benefit to us and the communities we serve.''
The bank was first established as First National Bank in Spencer in December 1911 with the bank starting to do business the following February.
''This is our 100th year of being in business as a bank,'' Swearingen said.
The goal of the original founders was to establish a community bank that could offer the same services as a larger banking conglomerate, but on a more personal scale.
In 1944, the bank merged with First National Bank of Reedy and in 1949 bought the Roane County Bank. After years of growth, FNB expanded into Parkersburg in the late 1990s with a branch on Emerson Avenue and added a location in south Parkersburg in 2004.
In 2006, the bank changed from a national to a state-chartered bank and chose a new name, First Neighborhood Bank, which still used "FNB" initials.
'Neighborhood' was the feeling they wanted people to associate with their institution, Swearingen said.
On June 22, at the main branch at 216 Market St. in Spencer, a celebration will be held for the community, said Josh Hively, FNB's Business Development Officer in Spencer.
Bank officials will grill hot dogs, giving out lemonade, holding raffles and more.
Inside the bank, items showcasing the bank's history will be on display, including throphies from youth sporting teams the bank has sponsored over the years, old bank ashtrays and piggy banks. There are also a lot of old photographs of the bank and employees over the years that have been displayed.
''We're excited,'' Hively said. ''It is our way of saying thanks to the community. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them. This is our way of giving back to the community.''
The town of Spencer will be commemorating its 200th anniversary this month and the bank's 100th anniversary shows they have been a part of the history of the town, Hively said.
''We would love to see a lot of people come out and enjoy the day,'' he said.
FNB is a full-service bank, offering commercial and consumer products, including deposit and loan products.
The bank offers checking accounts, credit cards, mortgages, auto financing, consumer financing, online banking, telephone banking, safe deposit boxes, ATM cards, wire transfers, direct deposit and more.
The bank has a lot of expertise in business lending, Swearingen said.
''We have also added quite a few new business products on the deposit side,'' he said. ''Remote Deposit Capture is now up and running. We have several customers on it. They love it.''
Remote Deposit Capture allows customers to make deposits using a scanner to scan checks rather than coming into the bank.
The bank offers internet banking options, they have an iPhone application and e-statements e-mailed to customers. They also have a new accounts receivable product for businesses. They have also set up an ATM at Roane General Hospital.
FNB has around $142 million in assets. The bank has 46 employees.
They have most of the services and products many large banks have.
''The nice thing about the modern electronics and abilities is it has allowed us to be able to offer the same things larger banks can,'' Swearingen said.
FNB wants their customers to feel like the bank is their partner in whatever banking services they need.
''We like to feel like we are in partnership with them, their friends and neighbors,'' Swearingen said. ''We don't just want to sell you a product. We want our employees to take care of the customer and to make the customers feel like we did the best for them. We feel like we can take more time with them while still responding quickly and we can give them what they need and not just what they ask for.''
