by Dennis Dalman
West Bank opened for business March 21 in Sartell after moving into its brand-new building from its former location along Clearwater Road in St. Cloud.
The new bank building is located on Hwy. 15 just east of Epic Center (site of the Walmart store). It offers full-service banking and trust services to customers, including small- to medium-sized businesses.
Founded as First Valley Junction Savings Bank in West Des Moines, Iowa in 1893 by a married couple, West Bank has grown steadily for more than a century. It has eight branches in Iowa and five Minnesota branches in Rochester, Owatonna, Mankato, St. Cloud and now Sartell. The latter four banks opened since 2019. The St. Cloud one is now closed.
West Banks are known for a wide-ranging commitment to civic and community projects with help from boards comprised of local community members.
Led by Matt Laubach, president, the Sartell facility will be staffed by eight employees.
Sara Gallagher, West Bank’s corporate vice president and marketing director, shared a bit of history with the Sartell Newsleader.
“Our chief executive officer, Dave Nelson, is a native Iowan but spent much of his career in Minnesota,” she said. “In fact, in 2013, West Bank opened a storefront in Rochester. Then, in 2016, we built a stunning bank building in Rochester.”
The new bank in Sartell is a virtual replica of the Rochester structure built in 2016. A stunning two-story facility of concrete, steel, glass and stone exterior, the Sartell one was designed by HGA of Rochester. Its general contractor was Lyon Contracting, St. Cloud. The bank structure’s interior totals 15,000 square feet.
Gallagher said a “virtual replica” of the Sartell bank will be built this spring in Mankato to replace the previous one there.
