AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Moody National Bank (MNB), a Galveston-based community bank, today announced its newest branch in downtown Austin. Located in the iconic building at 400 West 15th Street now known as Moody Tower, the bank occupies 6,500 square feet on the ground floor and opened its doors for business on Feb. 9.
“Moving from our previous location on Anderson Lane to downtown Austin is huge for us,” said Victor Pierson, president of MNB. “It signifies a long-term commitment to Austin, its surrounding communities and our growing clientele in the central Texas area. We have a history of building long-term relationships with individuals, businesses and the communities in which we are located. We are excited to be more accessible to our existing clients and expanding into the central business district of Austin.”
In addition to greater accessibility for its clients, the new location and exterior signage atop Moody Tower make MNB visible across Central Austin. With 10 staff members currently employed, the new building gives MNB the capacity to double its staff as needed in approaching years.
As part of the renovation process, MNB converted the bank’s original vault door, built in 1875 in Pennsylvania and weighing more than 40,000 pounds, as the entry to the bank’s new conference room. The conference room houses a 12-foot-long table made from a 211-year-old fallen pecan tree recovered from Onion Creek.
Founded in 1907, MNB first opened in Austin in 2008. Jeff Hutchens, executive vice president and Central Texas area manager, started the loan production office out of his house before moving to a temporary location on Anderson Lane. This opening marked the bank’s first noncoastal location and has been operating in the city since then. The Austin branch, as well as the bank’s 18 other locations are known for offering its customers excellent service in consumer lending, residential lending including home equity, business lending and trust services.
“Our plan all along was to build our Austin presence organically from the ground up,” said Hutchens. “We’ve done it the old-fashion way – one relationship at a time. This new location represents a major milestone in our efforts. We have a top-notch team in place and are ready to serve a much larger segment of the Austin market.”
Hutchens sits on the MNB loan committee, which meets weekly to approve loans in the bank’s markets. MNB has a collaborative organizational structure and all decisions are made in Texas by people living in the communities in which the bank serves.
For the convenience of its Austin-area customers, MNB placed ATMs in all nine local Randall’s locations last fall.
About Moody National Bank
Moody National Bank (MNB) is a Galveston-based community bank, providing personal and business banking services, as well as trusts and investments, to clients in 19 locations in Texas. MNB is one of the largest privately owned banks in Texas with assets exceeding $1 billion as of Dec. 31, 2014. Founded in 1907, MNB serves clients in Galveston, Fort Bend, Brazoria, Harris counties, and Austin, and its Trust Department is one of the largest and oldest in Texas. Its staff is committed to providing customers with superior service with a personal touch in the development of strong financial relationships. To learn more about MNB’s history, services, executive staff and board of directors, visit www.MoodyBank.com.
