It’s no secret that State National Bank has served the community of Groom for a hundred years, and it’s also no secret that a very excited and dedicated team has joined forces the current team recently to continue this legacy and drive it further than ever before.
The State National Bank of Groom’s history dates back to the early 20th Century. It grew out of a private banking enterprise in Groom that began in 1904. The original private Bank was called Knorpp and Blasdel, Bankers. In 1905 J.W. Knorpp bought the Blasdel interest, and the name was changed to The Bank of Groom. It was reorganized into the State Bank of Groom in 1908. In 1925, the Bank surrendered its State Charter and began operation as The State National Bank of Groom. In 2025 the Bank will celebrate its centennial national charter.
It's this rich history that both the Bank's Directors and Shareholders as well as the investor group, led by Deke Alexander, incoming Bank President, wanted to continue to build on as they take the charter into the future. “The combination of adding management and experience in community banking, additional capital from local investors, and continued local decision making will enable us to increase our lending power and provide additional services to our current and future customers, resulting in an expanded footprint in the region. The staff and I are extremely excited about the future of the Bank and for our customers and the communities we serve,” said Dusty Sloan, current CEO of The State National Bank of Groom.
“We know community banking is the life blood for rural communities and small businesses. Our desire is to play a complementary part in the economic and socio-economic development in the region. We will begin with serving the needs of our current and future customers’ households and businesses with new products, services, and loans, while deploying capital and making tangible investments within the communities we will serve.” stated Deke Alexander
Mr. Alexander and his wife Samantha moved to Groom during the process with Samantha Alexander, accepting a position with Groom ISD at the beginning of this school year. Samantha commented, “Our family is blessed to call Groom home. We have already developed great relationships over the past year and look forward to continuing to lay down roots. We are excited for the future of the Bank and the community and humbled to be a part of it all!"
"We are looking forward to expanding and becoming a premier community bank in the Panhandle region. The bank survived the panic of 1907, The "Dust Bowl" era of the 1930s, two world wars, the reconstruction periods that followed along with COVID along with multiple recessions in between. This is due to the unwavering support of the community of Groom throughout the years. We value transparency as we continue in our partnership with local residents and business owners, and are planning a community gathering in the first quarter of 2024 to share more details about exciting new things coming to State National Bank." added Deke Alexander
Local incoming Director, Lance Ollinger added, "State National Bank of Groom has played an important role over the years providing support to both individuals and businesses. In recent years through acquisitions, many banks have withdrawn from communities, leaving many wondering where to turn. Our community in Groom, like so many others, experienced this situation locally as we heard and watched the market around us. We've listened. We are proud to keep the bank rooted locally and invested deeply into the needs of the Panhandle region in the years to come."
