American Bank of Missouri

Although its roots are small and rural, American Bank of Missouri is growing and adding services—living up to its “we strive to provide” slogan more and more. Travis Stumbaugh, branch manager at the Rock Hill location, says the bank’s primary niche in the greater St. Louis area is offering competitive rates for certificates of deposit (CDs) and money market and business accounts. But its services are much more expansive than that.

In the past six months, the bank has added Small Business Administration loans to its list of consumer products. The new line primarily consists of mortgage origination for commercial real estate enterprises, like multifamily apartment complexes, as well as refinancing on existing loans. Heading the new initiative is Ted Kraizer, senior vice president of the SBA division, who began working for American Bank last March. “SBA helps the bank fulfill its goal of meeting the needs of small business owners,” he says. “It’s a growth area.”

Loan amounts vary depending on the situation, and the money can be used to help businesses acquire land, equipment or additional space. It’s also a nod to the bank’s own expansion in recent years. The original bank, known as Bank of Montgomery County, existed for decades, and American Bank bought the business around 2005—and started adding branches in quick succession.

The original location was in Wellsville, Missouri, about 90 miles west of St. Louis, with three total branches in Montgomery County. Soon after the purchase, American added branches in Wright City, Warrenton and Rock Hill. And it didn’t stop there. “We grew fast enough that in the next year, we opened up the O’Fallon, Missouri, branch,” Stumbaugh says. Today, the bank has seven locations—O’Fallon, Wellsville, Montgomery City, Middletown, Wright City, Warrenton and Rock Hill— and seeks to become the lender of choice in the St. Louis market.

The bank also is fortunate to offer many of the products found at much larger, national chains, but with the more down-home feel of a community bank. That includes always having someone on the line when customers call during business hours, providing plenty of one-on-one interaction when people stop by, and a quick underwriting process for loans. “We work hard to get things done,” Stumbaugh says.

Pictured: Cheryl Williams, Travis Stumbaugh, Ted Kraizer