Independent Banker - May 2020 - 43

Q&A ...
#3
Jay S. Harris, president,
Yellowstone Bank
Q: As a fi fth-generation, family-owned bank
that's over a century old, who do you serve?
A: We're primarily a small business bank, but we also
serve a lot of ranchers and farmers. We make a lot of
real estate loans and ag loans, and we also off er home
mortgages. Small business customers are doing well,
because our communities are doing well. Residential
real estate has been strong, and home construction
has been particularly strong. This has helped not only
homebuilders but also other businesses.
We have some great multigenerational farmers
and ranchers. They are very good producers, but
they're not immune to commodity prices, and it
hasn't been the easiest time the last
couple of years. But when any
of our customers experience
challenges, we do everything
we can do to help them. We can
take a customized approach, as
a solution for one ranch, farm
or business may not be a good
solution for another one. We can
also make a decision within days
or even within hours.
Jay S. Harris
Q: What is your secret to outperforming
banks with the same attributes?
A: We're very effi cient, typically in the 40% range. We
have a fl at organization without a lot of excess middle
management. By the same token, we have enough
experienced staff to take care of our customers. We
also [have been doing] our own data processing for
close to 40 years. We buy software from [Jack Henry
& Associates], but we do our own processing on our
computers and servers, which is something most
community banks outsource. This saves us money.
Q: What else makes your bank unique?
A: We have a robust and dynamic credit culture,
which allows us to make good decisions and limit
losses. We also have a large [number] of long-term
employees, some who have been here for 30 or even
40 years. They are high-quality, skilled employees
Yellowstone Bank
Laurel, Mont.
Assets: $790 million
3-yr average ROA: 3.01%
yellowstonebank.com
who can do many
diff erent types of tasks.
We know there are a lot of places to work out there, so
we try to show our appreciation not just with competitive
compensation and benefi ts, but in a variety of [other] ways.
Katie Kuehner-Hebert is a writer in California.
$300 million to $1 billion in assets
Rank Bank name
City
1 NBKC Bank
2
Pioneer Trust Bank, National
Association
3 Yellowstone Bank
4 Quantum National Bank
5 Bank of England
6 FNB South
7
First IC Bank
8 Wallis Bank
9 AMG National Trust Bank
10 Falls City National Bank
11
Citizens Bank
12 First Volunteer Bank
13 Sutton Bank
14 Independence Bank
15 Plumas Bank
16 Oregon Community Bank
17 Esquire Bank, National Association
18 HNB National Bank
19 First National Bank of Las Animas
20 Prime Alliance Bank
21 Yampa Valley Bank
22 Rock Canyon Bank
23 Crockett National Bank
24 Community National Bank
25 Premier Banks
State
Kansas City MO
Salem
Laurel
OR
Suwanee
England
Alma
Doraville
Wallis
Boulder
Falls City
Carthage
Attica
Havre
MT
GA
AR
GA
GA
TX
CO
TX
TN
Chattanooga TN
OH
Quincy
Oregon
Jericho
MT
CA
WI
NY
Hannibal MO
Las Animas CO
Woods Cross UT
Steamboat
Springs
Provo
San Antonio
Seneca
CO
UT
TX
KS
Maplewood MN
3-yr
average
ROA
4.14
3.55
3.01
2.99
2.98
2.93
2.73
2.73
2.63
2.62
2.60
2.60
2.59
2.57
2.56
2.51
2.50
2.50
2.49
2.42
2.41
2.37
2.34
2.34
2.34
independentbanker.org Q 43
http://www.yellowstonebank.com http://www.independentbanker.org
Independent Banker - May 2020

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