Oct. 11--Community banks are alive and well in Calhoun County, if the grand opening celebration for Southern States Bank's new facility on Quintard Avenue in Anniston is any indication.

As the nation wrestles with a financial crisis that has global markets in turmoil, Southern States Bank Calhoun County President and CEO Jack Swift said community banks in the county remain in good shape. That's partly because of conservative and "prudent," practices, he said.

Community banks weren't involved in the subprime mortgage mess at the heart of much of the market's troubles, he said. "Sometimes saying no hurts, but it's the best answer," he said of extending risky credit.

But Swift said all the worry about credit now not being available at all is far from the truth. "That is not true in our world," he said. "No one has turned off the faucet completely. We're still looking to give loans to credit-worthy borrowers."

The bank, which also has branches in Opelika and Birmingham, started construction on the new building in November 2007. It moved from its former office on Wilmer Avenue to the new 615 Quintard Ave. location in July.

Friday's event offered the chance to officially mark the bank's grand opening in the new facility.

Swift said the bank chose to locate in Anniston because it is the county seat, with a large medical, financial and legal community close at hand. In addition, the Quintard Avenue location was ideal because of the "tremendous visibility," it offered along one of the city's main thoroughfares, he said.

Southern States isn't the only financial institution to bank on Quintard -- along with several other banks clustered along the tree-lined avenue, NobleBank and Trust opened its new building in March 2007, anchoring another corner farther north on Quintard

Being a community bank makes a difference, said Swift. Having an intimate knowledge of and connection to the community means "people who are making the decisions know their customer base," and know the "true character of the borrower and the market," he said. Local banks also take a "holistic," approach, include staff and management who have deep ties to a community, and offer a personal touch, he said.

Southern States was among a group of local banks that took out an ad in The Anniston Star this week in an attempt to reassure people that they remain stable and secure in light of the recent national economic news.

Swift acknowledged that the public is anxious and recommended that consumers look closely at their finances and adjust personal spending habits to save more.

But despite the anxiety, consumers should still have faith in their banks, he said.

In Calhoun County, "we have a very stable market; it's kind of boring in that you don't have peaks of prosperity and valleys of despair," he said. Stable industries such as the medical community, Jacksonville State University, the Anniston Army Depot, Honda's Lincoln plant and a "great" retail base in Oxford contribute to that stability, he said.

This means banking in Calhoun County may not be "flashy or glamorous," but does offer consistency, he said.

Swift compared locally based banks to a neighborhood mechanic. "There's a comfort level, plus if you call him, he'll answer," he said. "You develop a relationship that matters."

About Mary Jo Shafer Mary Jo Shafer is assistant metro editor and business editor for The Star.

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