Pinnacle Bancorp embraces AmFirst Bank's tradition

Wielding ceremonial scissors, Pinnacle Bank President Kent Craw, left, and Shane Sis, the managing agent of the Pinnacle Agency, preside over a ribbon cutting Wednesday morning as the McCook Chamber of Commerce marked AmFirst Bank’s conversion this summer and fall to Pinnacle Bank and the Pinnacle Agency. On July 1, 2017, AmFirst Bank locations in McCook, Benkelman and Hayes Center officially joined Pinnacle Bank’s 61 branches in Nebraska. The McCook location of Pinnacle Bank and Pinnacle Agency is situated at the busy corner of West Fifth and B streets in McCook.

Connie Jo Discoe/McCook Gazette

McCOOK, Neb. — AmFirst Bank’s philosophy about the value of community banking continues with the three Nebraska banks’ acquisition in mid-summer by Pinnacle Bancorp, this according to an official of the McCook bank location during a McCook Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday morning.

Kent Craw, president of the Pinnacle Bank location in McCook, told those gathered for the ribbon cutting, “As AmFirst was, Pinnacle stays community-based. It has the same approach to community banking as AmFirst. That’s very important to us.”

Pinnacle Bank Nebraska President Marc Hock said in March 2017, as he announced the acquisition of AmFirst Bank locations in McCook, Hayes Center and Benkelman, “We operate under the community banking model, and we’ll maintain that community-based philosophy for AmFirst Bank through local decision-making and strong customer relationships.”

Craw said Wednesday that Pinnacle officials have told him that the AmFirst conversion has been one of the smoothest they’ve experienced.

Jamie Mockry, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, welcomed Pinnacle to the McCook business community. “We welcome a new name into town,” Mockry said. “It’s fun to see growth.”

Matt Sehnert, past president of the Chamber, told bank officials and employees that he’s happy that “it’s still our friends and neighbors” running the bank, and that Pinnacle understands the importance of the Chamber of Commerce.

Sehnert said he looks forward to the continuation of the bank’s and the Chamber’s relationship.

Shane Sis, the manager of the Pinnacle Agency, promised the continuation of outstanding customer service and the bank’s valuable relationship with McCook and Southwest Nebraska. Sis said that his ultimate goal and that of his insurance personnel “is to build bonds of trust and loyalty.”

Pinnacle Bancorp has 61 locations in Nebraska as Pinnacle Bank and 39 locations in Colorado as Bank of Colorado. In mid-2017, Pinnacle Bank and Bank of Colorado jointly acquired AmFirst Bank’s branches in McCook, Hayes Center and Benkelman in Nebraska and Greenwood Village and Longmont in Colorado.

Pinnacle Bancorp, the owner of subsidiary Pinnacle Bank and Bank of Colorado, has been family-owned since 1938. Based in Nebraska, Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. is a $9.7 billion financial holding company operating more than 140 community banks in seven states.