Build Lasting Relationships

Ventura California:  Meet Joe Kreutz; he  is the founder, CEO and President of County Commerce Bank.   He had been banking for 30 years; he was a president of a savings and loan; he started his own mortgage banking company. And to start the bank of his dreams, he put  his neck on the line and "skin in the game"  (his own investment dollars).

He was destined to make this bank special.

Most community banks were gobbled up back in the '90s.  With 170 local investors, they opened for business in February 2003 and the impact within  the community was immediate.  This was truly a place where everybody got to know your name.

In the words of one of our favorite small business owners, Albert Black, we must  "teach, preach, coach and counsel" to preserve and improve our conditions.

We can't rest. We can't expect other to do it. We are the sovereigns.

Joe says....

We did a business plan. We thought it would take two and a half to three years to become profitable and we blew our plan out of the water and became profitable in 9 months and that is well ahead of the industry standard of about 30 months to become profitable for a bank.

Getting investors was easy.  In fact we had an over subscription.  The difference between a large bank, a regional bank and a community bank is we can cater our products and services more to the individual and small business.