Pub. 6 2018 Issue 4

11 Winter 2018 The Community Banker OPPORTUNITYBANK EMERGINGOPPORTUNITIES MIB MEMBER NEWS T o say that 2017 was business as usual for Opportunity Bank of Montana (the “Bank”) would be downplaying the progress they made over the past year. In fact, they continue to be one of the most innova- tive community bank institutions in Montana. In the last year, the holding company Eagle Bancorp Montana, Inc. (NASDAQ: EBMT), issued a public offering of 1,189,041 shares of the Company’s common stock, at a price to the public of $18.25 per share for gross proceeds of approximately $21.7 million. The Bank intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes, including potential future acquisitions and to support continued organic growth. Continued growth will occur the first quar- ter of 2018 after Opportunity Bank of Mon- tana finalizes the acquisition of Twin Bridg- es-based TwinCo Inc. (Ruby Valley Bank). This deal will add roughly $90 million in assets, $78 million in deposits and $55 million in loans to Opportunity Bank, making it the fifth-largest bank in Montana with around $800 million in assets. Opportunity Bank executives found this purchase beneficial not only as the two banks are similar culturally, but this also expands the company’s agricultural lending profile as well. Executive leadership at the Bank has been enhanced by the addition of Darryl Rensmon, senior vice president, and chief information officer. Rensmon has more than 25 years’ experience in technology-orientated work in the field of information systems. He is respon- sible for all facets of information systems and technology. The Bank also added Mark O’Neill to its executive team this past year. O’Neill recent- ly served as Market President at their Butte branch. He was appointed as senior vice president and chief lending officer this past October. Additional brick and mortar growth occurred in the Billings area, their largest Montana community, with the addition of a second location. Opportunity Bank added an- other branch in Billings Heights to make bank- ing with Opportunity even more convenient. A third branch on North 27th Street will begin construction early 2018. These additions stem from their commitment to give customers a better, readily accessible banking experience. Headquarters for the holding company and Opportunity Bank reside in Helena, Montana. In July, the location underwent an interior remodel to allow for upgrades in technology, security, employee growth, and the overall customer banking experience. The remodel is slated to finalize this March. In 2017, their Commercial Lending Office in Great Falls received regulatory approval to of- fer a full suite of deposit and lending services to that area. Construction of their new full-ser- vice Great Falls branch will occur in 2018. All these transactions get the Bank another step closer to reaching $1 billion in assets, which they expect to hit in three years. The team at Opportunity Bank is also fully aware that innovation is the only action to avoid stagnation. In keeping with this mindset, the Bank rolled out several new products this past year. In late fourth quarter, Opportunity Reward Checking was introduced by Opportunity Bank. Customers now have the option of being rewarded by meeting specific behav- iors through everyday use of their checking account. The Opportunity Reward Checking account gives customers the opportunity to earn cash back, ATM fee reimbursements, dis- counts on personal loans with ACH payment, and more. In addition to Opportunity Reward Check- ing, ZRent was introduced this past Fall. ZRent is a landlord and property manager tool for automatic rent collection. It is a beneficial service for both the tenant and the landlord. It works by automatically deducting rent payments from the tenant’s bank account and deposits them directly into the landlord’s account. After a one-time registration process, tenants can set and forget their monthly payments, and landlords will no longer have the hassle of collecting checks and making the trip to the bank. ZRent eliminates late or lost rent payments. ZRent is free for all tenants to use. It is also free for landlords with an Opportunity Bank operating account. Opportunity Bank prides itself on offering powerful tools they believe will greatly bene- fit their client base. Staying at the forefront of technology is essential, and they are excited to embrace these innovative solutions. The Bank believes the progress above will create a strong loyalty base among its customers. Op- portunity Bank also appreciates their strong employee base, and they continue to add value to their staff’s benefits package. In 2018, the Bank will further develop an in-house training program called“Empower Academy.” Empower Academy will be used to house the Bank’s major training efforts from new hire onboarding, relationship banker training, and leadership development. Lastly, in the midst of tremendous growth, they rolled out a new website which included modern navigation, layout and design, and ease of user interface. Opportunity Bank of Montana looks forward to all that 2018 has in store. It is their mission to provide strong financial futures for Montanans, and they will continue to meet this promise through means of innovation and managing Montanans’entire banking relationship. By Ali Mandell, AVP Marketing Officer, Opportunity Bank of Montana