Winnsboro / Louisiana / United States
When Progressive Bank (originally Progressive State Bank) was founded in October 1975 in Winnsboro, Louisiana, our company was primarily dedicated to serving the special banking needs of the agricultural community in the Franklin Parish area. Under the guidance of Mr. George W. Cummings, Jr, our Founder and first President, Progressive State Bank had grown to assets of over $42 million by the end of 1996.
Cummings & Bringol - 1976 While this dedication to the area’s farming industry still exists, Progressive Bank has become a financial services leader in the markets we serve. In 1997, our Board of Directors voted to expand beyond the Franklin Parish area and the company, now under the guidance of Chief Executive Officer George W. Cummings, III, expanded into the Ouachita Parish market with our first location at 1401 North 19th Street in Monroe. With the expansion also came a name change to Progressive Bank. Additional offices in Monroe and West Monroe soon followed and by 2003 Progressive Bank had grown to six locations.
In 2004, our dream of a new Monroe “home office” came true with the completion of our Corporate Office and 19th Street Financial Center at 1411 North 19th Street. This building houses the Bank’s Retail Banking services; Wealth Management & Trust; Private Banking; Commercial Banking; Residential Lending; and Commercial Cash Management; as well as the Bank’s Corporate Division; and is the hub for its technology network. Most recently, Progressive Bank has expanded into its new Corporate Annex in the building that housed the Bank’s original Monroe location at 1401 North 19th Street. The Annex includes the Loan Operations; Human Resources; and Compliance departments; as well as a state-of-the-art Training Center.
As a result of these expansion efforts, Progressive Bank’s assets grew from $46 million in September 1997 to over $475 million at year-end 2012. During that same period, deposits grew from $40 million to nearly $378 million; and loans increased from $28 million to just over $375 million.
PB Fern Avenue Financial CenterThis growth and success enabled us to take the next step in our geographic expansion plans to Northwest Louisiana as our first Progressive Bank office in Bossier City, Louisiana, our Airline Financial Center, opened in July 2008. And, our newest office, our Fern Avenue Financial Center in Shreveport, opened in June 2010. Growth and expansion has also resulted in an increase in the number of employees in north Louisiana from 22 in 1997 to over 140 in December 2012.
George W. Cummings, Jr. 1979Although we have expanded financially and geographically, we have not forgotten our roots. Providing our customers with the very best in banking and financial products and services, in the ways that they want them delivered, combined with our ambitious service excellence standards, remains the hallmark of our Progressive Bank brand and reminds us to live our Progressive Bank Pledge each and every day. This pledge, introduced by our founder, George W. Cummings, Jr.
