Rick Blossom doesn’t have a magic formula for making Second National Bank any different or any better than its competitors.
But what Blossom, president and CEO, does have is a strong team of people who have bought into his common-sense vision for growing the Warren-based regional and community bank.
Blossom joined Second National in 1999 after serving as president and CEO of Hamilton, Ohio-based First National Bank of Southwestern Ohio, a $1 billion bank that operated in four counties.
Shortly after his arrival at Second National, a 123-year old, $1.9 billion regional community bank, he embarked upon several programs designed to increase competitiveness and expand the bank’s assets and reach.
“High on my list of objectives was balancing the twin realities of who we are — a regional and a community bank,” says Blossom. “We serve Main Street and Wall Street.’
The first program, Second National’s Financial Information System (F.I.S.), is a software-based line-of-business reporting tool that provides Blossom and his senior staff with real-time data about every aspect of the bank.
“It enables us to budget and forecast in accordance with fact rather than guesswork,” Blossom says. “This has given us the muscle and flexibility necessary to quickly take advantage of marketplace opportunities and to anticipate and assertively respond to market needs.”
The second initiative, the bank’s Client Advantage Program (C.A.P), was designed to strengthen relationships with existing clients by identifying useful products and services. For example, if a banker notices a large sum of cash in a client’s checking account that isn’t earning interest, he or she may suggest the customer take advantage of one of Second National’s interest-bearing products.
Tying together information about customers allows the bank to go deeper in its relationships with them.
Despite the aggressive approach to developing new business and building long-term relationships, Blossom says he hasn’t lost sight of how important it is to remain conservative in his industry.
“We’re running a tight, highly efficient company by the numbers, strictly controlling expenses and eliminating surprises through uncompromising professional discipline,” he says. How to reach: Second National Bank, (330) 841-0123
