The community bank way of doing business, true for all small businesses, requires that we treat our customers well or we will not have customers.  It’s that simple, though our legislators and regulators sometimes fail to understand that this is the way the real free market is supposed to work.

There is no need to saddle us with a community reinvestment act.  There is no need to subject us to a consumer protection bureau.  There is no need to scrutinize us for fair lending.  If we fail to reinvest in our communities, or act in a way that harms our consumer/customers, or if we are not fair (and by fair I mean in the common sense definition of fair, not the Pharisaical definition of “fair”), we are punished by the marketplace.

For community banks, there is no Too Big to Fail government backstop.  We will either satisfy the marketplace or we will disappear.

Furthermore, as a private business not dependent on a government safety net or a government tax subsidy, we must conduct our business in a way that provides a reasonable return to the owners of the business – our shareholders.  No, shareholder is not a dirty word! These are the people who have risked their personal capital (not the public’s) in the belief that the business can provide a valuable service to consumers.

The requirement that we operate profitably forces us to marshal and deploy our limited resources in an economical and efficient manner or, again, we go out of business.  There is no “not-for-profit” sham fueled by a generous public subsidy to provide a wide margin for error.

Without the requirement to pay their fair share of federal taxes to provide for the essential government services they enjoy, those advertising, marketing, salary and benefit, and branch location decisions are a lot easier at tax-subsidized credit unions

But despite these obstacles, it is community banks which are respected and trusted.  That is precisely because we understand that what is good for the community is good for our Bank.  After all, the community and the Bank of Zachary is the same thing.

By Judy Foreman

Investing in home ownership is the single largest financial transaction most of us will ever participate in. Building your next home can be both a challenging and rewarding experience. It can also be stressful and time consuming. Below are several tips to consider when preparing to build your next home:

1. Finance = Schedule a meeting with your lender early in the process and get pre-approved. Many lenders can help with both your construction loan and your permanent mortgage. Your lender works for you and should serve as a trusted advisor before, during and after your construction project.
2. Locate = Remember to consider development costs such as removing trees and stumps, running utilities and building up your elevation when comparing land options that fit your budget. Other factors to evaluate may include zoning, school districts, building restrictions and whether or not the property is in a flood zone.
3. Design = Many designers and architects have existing house plans for sale and may offer to customize to those plans for a fee. Custom house plans can be a rewarding way to influence the design of your next home. Be patient during this process and always ask for feedback when designing your plans.
4. Build = Working with a turn-key builder, partnering with a flat-fee contractor or subcontracting the project yourself are three common methods for building a new home. Consider the level of expertise and involvement required of you and do not hesitate to talk with several builders and contractors before making a final decision.

Planning and preparation are critical to your success. Expect the project to cost more and take longer than you originally estimated. Seeking advice early and often from others such as your mortgage lender and your builder can be a great best practice throughout the process.

Judy Foreman is a Senior Vice President and head of mortgage lending at the Bank of Zachary. She can be reached at (225) 654-2701.

We will be closed Friday, March 25th for Good Friday.

As we approach Thanksgiving Day, I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to those who make the Bank of Zachary more than just another business.

First, I am thankful to be a part of such a wonderful community – one that believes in the future, and demonstrates that belief by providing exceptional educational opportunities for our children, a community where the most daunting of challenges are met with an overwhelming optimism.

I am thankful to have the opportunity to continue to serve generations of local customers, and greet them by their first names throughout the community.

I am thankful that our shareholders truly believe in putting people before profits, because they believe that doing what is best for our community is always the best thing for the Bank of Zachary.

Finally, I am extremely thankful to be working with some of the finest people this community has to offer.  By working well together, the staff at the Bank of Zachary can best help our customers and make our community thrive.  Quite simply, they are the best.

Humbly do I offer up our thanks to eternal God, from whom all blessings flow.

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Preston L. Kennedy
President and Chief Executive Officer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 24, 2014

 Bank of Zachary Encourages Consumers to Go Local for the Holidays
Support locally owned and operated small businesses and local entrepreneurs

With holiday cheer and spending just around the corner, the Bank of Zachary joins the Independent Community Bankers of America® (ICBA) in encouraging consumers to Go Local this holiday season with their purchasing, dining and spending. By supporting small businesses throughout the holidays, consumers will be putting money back to work in their communities.

“As consumers across the country prepare their holiday shopping lists and get started with purchasing either in stores or online, it’s important to remember that many locally owned and operated small businesses offer exceptional products and services,” said John Buhrmaster, ICBA chairman and president and CEO of 1^st National Bank of Scotia, N.Y. “By going local for the holidays—even if it’s not every item on your list—you will make a huge difference in your local economy by putting dollars to work in your neighborhood.”

To show support for entrepreneurs and small businesses this holiday season, Bank of Zachary employees will be in the community spending with local merchants and restaurants. On December 13, we are launching our Mobile Cash Mob. When our employee tweets a picture with the hashtag #GoLocalHolidays, the Bank of Zachary will refund the employee up to $10 of their local purchase.

“The Bank of Zachary realizes the vital importance of our small businesses, and we are looking forward to continuing our support for them throughout this holiday season,” said President and Chief Executive Officer Preston L. Kennedy. “As we look ahead to our Mobile Cash Mob, Bank of Zachary staff is committed to shopping and dining at locally owned and operated businesses and restaurants in our community. We are proud to play a part in helping our local economy thrive.”

To learn more about ICBA’s Go Local initiative and ways you can go local this holiday season and throughout the year, visit www.icba.org/golocal and follow the hashtag #GoLocalHolidays.

About Bank of Zachary
Founded in 1904, the Bank of Zachary is the oldest State chartered bank in East Baton Rouge Parish. It is locally owned and operated with all decisions made locally. Hometown banking is Bank of Zachary’s mission and its specialty.

 About ICBA
The Independent Community Bankers of America®, the nation’s voice for more than 6,500 community banks of all sizes and charter types, is dedicated exclusively to representing the interests of the community banking industry and its membership through effective advocacy, best-in-class education and high-quality products and services. For more information, visit www.icba.org.

I was elated to hear that the marker on the old oak tree, transformed by chain saw artist Burt Fleming into the Freedom Eagle, has been re-discovered by a new generation of Zachary citizens.

The marker was dedicated to the memory of those “WHO FOUGHT DURING THE WORLD WAR”. My father was a U. S. Navy veteran of World War II, and like most boys growing up in the 1960’s, I was raised on old black-and-white movies and tales of heroism from that conflict. Naturally, I assumed the marker was there to honor that generation of fighting men.

It was my grandfather, John L. Kennedy, Sr., who set me straight on the oak tree marker. He explained that the marker commemorated an earlier cohort of patriot citizens, the one who had gone “over there” to fight the war to end all wars, to make America safe for democracy. Like my father, my grandfather had served in the Navy. My great-uncle Preston went to France with General Pershing and the U. S. Army. With other young men from the northern end of the Parish, they departed for the battlefields of Europe from the same depot that sits hard by the now unused railroad that brought Zachary into being less than 30 years earlier.

As a boy, I would walk the short distance down High Street from the Zachary High School campus to Kennedy’s Store (where Delta Finance is today). I passed under the shadow of the largest structure in town, the massive gray water tower, and under the limbs of the gracious oak. At its base was the curious marker that caught the attention of a curious ten-year old.

We are blessed to live in a community that honors those who have served to make possible the freedoms and privileges of living in the greatest country in the history of the world. That old, worn marker reminds us that this tradition of tribute has existed in our town always, and it is our duty to see that it continues forever more.