First State Bank

We are frequently asked why International Bank of Amherst has not merged with one of the larger banks. We believe our community would suffer if it didn't have a locally owned and controlled bank. As an independent community bank, we are owned and operated by people from the community... you can find them in church, in the grocery store, and at the PTO meeting. Our employees are active in our community and volunteer time for local organizations, events, and fundraisers. Since we were founded in 1893, we've had the same name, we've been at the same location, and we've continued to use the same guiding principles when making business decisions. Our decisions are based on what we see and know about the local community. Our decisions are made by people who live here - not by nameless members of a board who live hundreds of miles away. Too often, their decisions are based on computer printouts and financial trends of larger cities. Our interests are your interests - only when the community prospers will we prosper. Nearly all the money deposited in this bank is reinvested back into the community in the form of loans and investments. This generates jobs, which lead to purchases, which lead to local economic expansion.