Community Involvement Is the Bank’s Middle Name
By Roberto Hugo Gonzalez,
Texas Border Business –
Inter National Bank (INB) is one of the icons of community banking in the Rio Grande Valley. It was established in 1983 and officially opened its doors to the public in 1985.
Today, with its 20 branches throughout South Texas along the U.S./Mexico border, from Brownsville to El Paso and a convenient depository location in Houston, The Woodlands area, the bank serves its vast clientele. INB is wholly owned by Banorte Financial Group and its main office is in McAllen, Texas.
The leadership of the bank is modeled after one that thinks out of the box. That is why they remain open seven days a week in three of the Express Branches. Inter National Bank is also conveniently opened on federal holidays like President’s Day and Columbus Day. The management said that this is not additional work for them, but simply to be available when their clients need to bank.
“We are open to the public and available when other banks are not,” said Jesus A. Zambrano, Executive Vice President /Chief Legal Officer and Head of Retail and Mortgage operations.
He told Texas Border Business that the difference at Inter National Bank is that it takes care of its customers in a personalized way. “Loan decisions are made locally by a group of bankers that are rooted in the community and understand the customers’ needs. The Bank has developed a culture that epitomizes the concept of Banking the Right Way,” Zambrano said enthusiastically.
Inter National Bank is a reliable source of employment in the communities it serves. The Bank has 411 employees and about half of them service the branch network.
Zambrano pointed out that with the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Samuel J. Munafo, Inter National Bank has assembled a team of talented professionals to lead the Bank to the next level. “We have four attorneys on staff, three CPAs, one former FBI agent, two former examiners of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), a talented lending team, and a motivated sales force.” He said, “We are like no other bank in our market and other professionals seek employment at Inter National Bank because it is a great place to work.”
After the Great Recession of 2008-2009, which caused many banks to fail and increase regulatory scrutiny, Inter National Bank has improved operational activities and is now leading the way regarding safe and sound banking practices. A dedicated team of professionals leads the organization.
“We are very optimistic about the future. We have the right leadership in place, and the bank will continue to grow and expand in new and existing markets,” said Zambrano.
According to bank officials, the banking industry has changed tremendously. Today, it is virtually impossible to get a loan over a handshake as it used to be in the 1980’s. Additionally, the regulatory environment has forced the industry to evolve and apply more rigorous standards.
Zambrano pointed out that other factors that have affected their business model include geographic location as well as illegal activities on both sides of the border. “In fact, today we are witnessing banks exit certain markets due to the stringent regulatory environment,” He said, “However, our strategic position has been to strengthen controls to identify illegal activity and better understand customer transactions, which will allow us to continue serving foreign and domestic customers on both sides of the border. The bank has become a leader in this area, and it gives us a competitive advantage over other financial institutions.”
According to Zambrano, technology is another challenge INB is facing today because it has revolutionized the banking industry. He explained that the mobile trend continued to affect their branch model. It has required them to rethink some of their strategies. “Regarding technology, we are rapidly adapting and allocating resources for the development and enhancement of our digital and mobile outlets, such as the personal and business mobile app and the bank’s website.”
Also, he said, that another challenge for community banks like INB is competition, not only from other community banks but larger banks and credit unions as well.
Zambrano also spoke about the other innovations for INB. He said that technological advancements like business online banking, remote deposit capture, and a mobile app had enhanced product options for customers. “However, Inter National Bank’s operations still focus on brick-and-mortar locations and its branch network. The Bank’s employees are its biggest asset.” He said, “The Bank recruits the most qualified and competent staff in the industry to continue to evolve as a leading financial institution.”
He also said, that for three consecutive years, out of a pool of 5,000 companies in the Great Place to Work® Survey, the Bank has ranked in the top ten percent. He noted that Inter National Bank truly is a great place to work, and employees feel empowered to do their job and take care of their customers. “Our goal is to continue to be the employer of choice by fostering a great working environment for our staff,” said Jonathan Tate, SVP Director of Human Resources. “In fact, we have been able to hire quality bankers from other financial institutions in areas like retail and commercial lending,” said Tate.
Both bank officers agree that INB has created a culture of new and fresh ideas from professionals that want to grow within the organization. Most assuring, one of the Bank’s strategic goals is to create career development paths for critical areas within the bank. Zambrano said that Inter National Bank fosters a culture of open communication, vertically and horizontally within the organization. Adding that, “We believe in the value of listening to our front line staff, a basic concept that is often forgotten, yet by listening to our staff, INB offers a wealth of knowledge gained from day-to-day operations in dealing with our valuable customers.”
He went on to say that in the banking industry, it is difficult to differentiate yourself based exclusively on products as every bank offers savings and checking accounts, loans, etc.
However, he added that Inter National Bank has three unique characteristics that highlight the bank’s presence in the market, and that is, local and fast decisions on loans, personalized and “high-touch” customer service, and a “get-it-done” culture.
He said, “We stay close to our customers, and they value the experience of being able to meet with the bank’s top executives and lenders on any given day without an appointment.”
For centuries, the golden rule has been to treat others as you would like to be treated. This is why INB embraces the philosophy of helping and giving back to the community. Zambrano was quick to add, “Community involvement is slowly becoming our bank’s middle name.” He continued, “Inter National Bank’s Pride Program was created to encourage bank employees to participate in community activities. The program incentivizes employees who participate in community involvement activities by awarding prizes at the end of the year to those employees with the highest level of community involvement.”
The INB Pride Program has spread rapidly throughout the Bank and has been a great success. The culture at Inter National Bank has shifted drastically and now its employees regularly seek community service opportunities.
“We are proud to say that Inter National Bank’s staff has contributed over 1,500 hours of community service this year alone,” Zambrano said. “Furthermore, Inter National Bank gives over $100,000 in donations and sponsorships every year. We are one of the primary sponsors for organizations like the Make-a-Wish Foundation.”
For the last couple of years, INB has been recognized by United Way for being one of the top ten donors in South Texas, and most recently the bank embarked on an ambitious food drive in benefit of the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley.
In summary, Zambrano said that they are committed to the community, not just as a service provider, but as a friend and a partner to friends in need.
The bank’s immediate and long-term plans are to continue to look for growth opportunities in existing and new markets. Their knowledge of the market gives them the advantage to know that there are a lot of untapped opportunities and customers that may benefit from their services. Because of their familiarity with the market, they have increased the level of sales calls by forming groups of “business partners” that go out into the communities they serve and visit with new and existing customers.
The groups are comprised of banking center managers and their business partners which include professionals for all of their business lines including commercial lending, mortgage lending, treasury management services, business online banking, foreign exchange and other products. Zambrano said that by doing so they can assist customers more efficiently.
“Think of INB as a one-stop shop, bringing the retail and the commercial divisions together, creating great success, not only for us but for our prospects as well,” he finalized. TBB
 is one of the icons of community banking in the Rio Grande Valley. It was established in 1983 and officially opened its doors to the public in 1985.){kind=link}