When asked to identify the quintessential ingredient that makes community banking special, we do not hesitate to answer “relationships.”

Relationships have always mattered at Chelsea State Bank. Our focus exclusively remains on delivering the products and services our customers want, while our local roots and accountability ensure our interests remain tied to our neighbors here in Chelsea, Dexter and the surrounding areas.

At Chelsea State Bank, we work with our customers to help them realize their financial dreams, whether opening a business, purchasing a home, or planning for retirement. And we nurture our community by donating time and money to important causes and contributing tax dollars that help maintain local municipalities—all of which helps keep local neighborhoods viable and vibrant.

We work hard to stay attuned to the needs of this community and relevant to our customers by remaining on their corner and in their corner. This dedication to creating healthy, strong communities has helped the community banking industry flourish and maintained our well-earned reputation as true relationship lenders. Here are the facts:

• Community banks are economic first responders, processing more than 57 percent or 2.8 million loans as part of the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program, saving an estimated 33.7 million jobs.
• Community banks outpace large banks in their average number of banks operating in both rural and urban markets by a 3:1 ratio.
• Community banks are preferred small business lenders, with a 73 percent net satisfaction score, compared with 58 percent for large banks and 37 percent for online lenders.
• Community banks have consistently demonstrated their safety and soundness with higher capital ratios and better loan quality than the largest financial institutions.
• Community banks operate in areas abandoned by others—serving as the only physical banking presence in nearly one in threeS. counties.
• Community banks focus a relatively large share of their resources on low- and moderate-income tracts.

But it is not just about stats. When customers contact us, they are greeted by a talented team member who is attuned to their needs and empowered to act on their behalf.

And when our employees log volunteer hours in support of local charities or when Chelsea State Bank invests in the community, we are working toward our goal to ensure economic prosperity for the community we call home.

In an era where bigger is not always better, high-tech does not necessarily equate to high touch, and what we think of as “normal” is in flux we pledge to never lose sight of the all-important “relationship” and the personalized service our customers expect. It has been integral to our success for 125 years and is how we will continue to build a legacy that endures.