How is the bank positioned to prudently take advantage of current market conditions?
Fort Collins Commerce Bank has continued to enjoy success in these challenging economic
circumstances. We are setting higher performance standards for 2009 because the
bar keeps rising. We are focused on customer service, employee appreciation, cost
management, a more rigorous underwriting/risk management discipline and strategic
business development.
One advantage of being in the Capitol Bancorp Limited family of banks is that we
have many peer institutions from which to gain good ideas on how to be more efficient
and effective. Focusing on these fundamentals of sound banking will allow us to
continue to take advantage of our market.
One critique of the industry is that some loans that were funded should not have
been; currently, however, we are seeing the opposite as good business is often challenged
to find a home. Bluntly, we have less competition for quality relationships. We
have seen increasing numbers of relationships that we have been calling on for years
suddenly become available. A case in point would be a heart surgeon who moved an
account to our bank in 2008. Taking advantage of these types of opportunities will
allow us to succeed in 2009 and beyond.
— C. Gerard Nalezny, President & CEO