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History & Mission

When we opened our doors on January 15, 1981, our mission was to provide the absolute best in customer service. Our mission remains the same today. We truly believe our best and most valuable asset is our people. This philosophy and adherence to our mission has enabled First State Bank to grow from the smallest bank in Platte County to the largest. Our expansion to Torrington and most recently to Guernsey has proven the success of our mission is not limited to one location.

Throughout the years, our Board of Directors and Management Team have been quick to respond to new innovations, services, and technology, with which to better serve our customers. Included are: no-fee ATM's at twelve convenient locations in Wheatland, Torrington, Guernsey, LaGrange, Cheyenne and Laramie; full service brokerage and financial planning offered through Investment Centers of America; 24-hour telephone banking (locally 322-8133 and toll-free 1-877-416-8136); and full service internet banking.

While we provide the latest in technology to serve you, we still feel strongly that First State Bank is your First choice in banking where "People Bank with People" Please stop by the bank in Wheatland, Torrington, or Guernsey for a visit and cup of coffee. We look forward to seeing you!

“The Best Place to Work—The Best Place to Bank”

OUR CORPORATE CULTURE

A company’s culture is really the behavior of its people.  Company leadership can set the cultural direction, and put forces in motion to help alter the culture in important ways.  But, at the end of the day, the culture of the organization is defined by how people throughout the company behave.
The following is a set of behavioral expectations that we embrace at First State Bank.  If we all use these standards to define our personal behavior, we will truly be “The Best Place to Work—The Best Place to Bank.”

    1)    ACCEPTANCE OF CHANGE:
    We embrace a positive attitude when dealing with change.  We work for a rapidly changing organization, in a rapidly changing industry.  We think that change gives us the opportunities we need to improve processes, and to find better ways to get the job done.  We take the initiative and creativity to find ways to help others accept change in positive ways.  We are agents of change.
    2)    COMMITMENT:
    We are committed to the right things.  We are committed to our culture, our values, our customers, and to each other.  We know and understand the mission and primary goals of the company, and are actively engaged in achieving those goals.  A truly committed employee demonstrates acceptance of the company’s objectives, and proves it through the quality and quantity of the work they do.
    3)    VALUES:
    There are certain values that are core to an organization.  In order for the company to be successful, all employees must accept and embrace these values.  The values that we consider “core” to our company are:  honesty in all of our relationships, fairness, confidentiality, professionalism, and an aversion to discrimination.  We value a healthy corporate culture, and an attitude that refuses to tolerate mediocrity.  We also value high performance, and hold longevity in very high regard.
    4)    CELEBRATIONS TO SUPPORT VALUES:
    Without celebrations that support our values, the culture will fade.  Celebrations should be designed to support our values, by recognizing an individual, or a team, for their cultural leadership.  Special actions taken by an individual to deliver outstanding service to a customer, or to treat a fellow employee in a special way, or an extra-ordinary action taken by a team should be celebrated.
    5)    CONCERN FOR PEOPLE:
    The healthiest organizations are also the most caring organizations.  We must demonstrate through our actions that our employees are truly our most valuable asset.  We are respectful of our employee family values.  Although we all have different roles to play, we are equal members of a team.  Treat everyone in the organization with equal respect, as if they were the single most valuable asset we have.  A caring culture is a healthier and safer culture, and it will create an environment that will allow our people to build stronger relationships internally and externally, to be better work partners, and to deliver outstanding service to our customers.
    6)    OPEN AND HONEST COMMUNICATION:
    In strong and healthy cultures, communication tends to be more open and honest.  Few things are as important as the flow of good internal communication.  Those who promote the flow of communication, rather than creating communication obstacles, will thrive within our culture.  Identify impediments to communication flows and eliminate them.  Those who share information on a “need to know” basis will not succeed within our organization.
    7)    CONFLICT RESOLUTION:
    Our culture promotes a “win-win” method of conflict resolution.  Whether dealing with customers or fellow employees, we have the responsibility to:  A) identify the conflict; B) attempt to provide a positive solution to the conflict; and C) make sure that all parties on both sides of the conflict are given something that will help them accept the solution, and help them feel better about themselves and those who they were in conflict with.
    8)    OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER SERVICE:
    Success within our culture requires a strong customer service attitude.  We must take the initiative to understand just what the company means by “outstanding customer service” and then demonstrate that we have the right customer service attitude and skills to make each of us customer service leaders within the organization. Outstanding customer service comes from true “relationship banking.”  A positive business relationship, built on trust, will generate opportunities to determine what our customers need in the way of banking products and services, and then it is our responsibility to deliver those needs.  It is not appropriate to sell products to people merely for the purpose of generating profitability for our company.  Customer relationships built on trust, and taking care of customer needs, will be more meaningful and longer lasting.
    9)    PRIDE:
    Acceptance within our culture requires a high level of pride and excitement about the company.  It is our belief that our corporate culture makes us unique and special.  It is the factor that differentiates us from all the others.  Our employees are proud to communicate that they are part of the First State Bank team.  They think of themselves as winners, and a highly valued asset of a special organization.
   10)    TEAMWORK:
    Few things can do greater damage to an organization’s culture than a weak team spirit.  Effective and efficient teams can accomplish much more than can any individual working alone.  Teams fail when people choose to focus on themselves in order to be successful.  Some people don’t accept the value of leadership, and the enormous power that comes from teamwork.  First State Bank is a high-performance banking company because of the combined success of many teams that make up the organization.  No single individual within our culture can successfully stand above the team.