Banking has gone through significant changes in recent decades with innovations in technology and the advent of online banking. Many people and business owners bank entirely online these days, and most cannot identify a banker at their financial institution by name. What is more, many banks have centralized in big cities, leaving small communities behind.
Bank of the Pacific is an exception. It specializes in banking with a personal touch, in addition to all the modern online services you expect. Recently, they opened a new commercial banking center with retail and depository services in Lake Oswego, Oregon. The new center is open for business and located at 5335 Meadows Road in suite 151.
“Services at Bank of the Pacific aren’t faceless or nameless,” says Katherine Ledson, senior vice president and commercial banking team leader at the Lake Oswego branch. “We have a holistic approach to our clients that involves understanding their goals and objectives and providing consultative advice through great listening skills, strong economic awareness, and empathy.”
Clients Benefit from the Extensive Experience and Cohesive Team at Bank of the Pacific’s Lake Oswego Office
The commercial banking team, consisting of seven members, collectively possesses 125 years of experience in commercial banking, and have all worked together for a significant portion of that time.
“We bring to the Lake Oswego/Portland community a cohesive team of highly skilled consultative bankers experienced in addressing needs that clients think of and don’t think of, with the goal of becoming their trusted banking partner for life,” says Ledson. “Our team joined Bank of the Pacific because our values of relationship-based, high-touch, value-added banking services are in alignment with the bank, and we believe that value-added service is the future of banking.”
Ledson has been in the industry for 17 years and is skilled at building and leading commercial banking teams. She belongs to the Pacific Northwest Defense Coalition, the Association for Corporate Growth, and the University Club of Portland.
Jon Little, senior vice president and commercial real estate manager for Bank of the Pacific’s Lake Oswego branch, has 18 years of banking experience, all of it in the Portland area, and most in commercial real estate. He also oversees the commercial real estate portfolio for all primary commercial markets stretching from Bellingham to Salem. Little belongs to the National Association for Industrial and Office Parks and the Portland Chamber. He is also on the Ambassador Board for the non-profit Friends of the Children.
Bank of the Pacific’s Expertise in Smaller Markets Sets Them Apart
“Bank of the Pacific has extensive expertise and a long track record in smaller markets and unique industries tied to our footprint in the Pacific Northwest,” says Little. “We assist new commercial real estate investors with building a portfolio, one property at a time. We work with knowledgeable investors who need a reliable financial partner to help them continue to invest and develop their portfolio. We also assist customers who have several business lines related to their commercial real estate portfolio, such as property management, brokerage, and general contracting. Our expertise and banking products help them effectively manage their business lines.”
Little says the team closely monitors the ever-changing economics of property types, locations, and general supply changes within the commercial real estate industry so they can best advise their customers on wise investments and protect depositors and the bank from taking too much risk.
“I’ve been through the great recession and the longest economic expansion the U.S. market has experienced,” says Little. “COVID and the interest rate rise were also unique circumstances that had significant effects on commercial real estate and banking. It is easy to make a loan during good times, but true character is discovered during the tough times.”
Commercial Services Include Customized Solutions to meet Individual Needs
Bank of the Pacific offers a full suite of commercial deposit and treasury management products that allow their experienced bankers to custom tailor solutions for clients depending on individual liquidity needs to increase efficiencies with innovative technology.
“We help our clients to maximize their banking experience so that they can manage their accounts effectively, giving them the tools to have greater visibility and information reporting while concurrently managing risk and increasing fraud prevention,” says Chad Marting, vice president and commercial deposits relationship manager for Bank of the Pacific. “We are on a first name basis with our clients, and they know how to get a hold of us when they need us without having to navigate a chat bot or a 1-800 number that you will find at a large banking institution.”
Bank of the Pacific’s Relationship-Based, Value-Added Approach to Banking is More Important Now Than Ever Before
“Exceptional bankers today are broad thinkers,” says Ledson. “They are not just able to solve one issue a client brings to the table. They are skilled at advising on the broader implications that affect the client’s business and life.”
Bankers must also meet the needs of a client base that is increasingly demanding social and environmental needs, adds Ledson. “We must operate with a global lens in a much more complex world than in the past. This is a change from the traditional role of a banker, which was more of a product-push relationship.”
Bank of the Pacific’s overall goal is to provide great personal service, make decisions locally, and be active and supportive in their communities. “We help our clients achieve their financial goals and personal dreams, and we invest our financial success back into the community,” says Ledson.
“We are a community bank,” says Marting, “and by design, our depositors help us serve our local businesses so that our local business community can grow and thrive, which is important to me as a resident in this market.” The Lake Oswego branch joins a network of conveniently located Bank of the Pacific locations and will also include an interactive teller machine (ITM), check cashing and in-person customer service representatives.
Bank of the Pacific originated in Long Beach, Washington, in 1971. It currently operates 18 full-service branches in Clark, Grays Harbor, Pacific, Skagit, Wahkiakum, and Whatcom counties in Washington state, and in Clackamas and Clatsop Counties in Oregon. In addition to the new Lake Oswego branch, Bank of the Pacific operates 10 commercial banking offices in Washington and Oregon.
Visit Bank of the Pacific to learn more about what makes Bank of the Pacific a great place to do business.
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