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January 7, 20161st National Bank of Scotia’s Guilderland Branch Celebrates 50th Anniversary
When 1st National Bank of Scotia cut the ribbon on its Guilderland branch five decades ago, the space race was in full tilt, the war in Vietnam was intensifying, Muhammad Ali had just defeated Sonny Liston for the second time, and the world’s tallest arch — the Gateway Arch in Missouri — had recently opened for visitors.
Fast forward half a century and the community bank, which is located at 8 New Karner Road on Route 155, is still going strong.
Last week, to commemorate 50 years of community banking in the Town of Guilderland, the Scotia-based bank concluded a customer service week focused around a food drive for the Guilderland Food Pantry. Each person who brought in a contribution received a .25% off loan coupon and a chance to spin the bank’s prize wheel. Branch staff also gave out promotional items and served refreshments to valued customers throughout the week.
“Any time you have a golden anniversary is a time to pause and reflect,” said John Buhrmaster, CEO, 1st National Bank of Scotia, speaking at an event held Friday at the branch attended by members of the Guilderland Chamber of Commerce and other local officials. “Although the way that people bank has changed, the importance of community banks remains stronger than ever.
“We help to build better communities by lending to local residents, entrepreneurs and agricultural enterprises, which keeps America’s rural, suburban and urban communities growing and thriving,” said Buhrmaster, the immediate past chairman of The Independent Community Bankers of America. “Today’s milestone provides an opportunity to celebrate the unique and critical role we play in our local hometown.”
In addition to Guilderland, 1st National Bank of Scotia has nine other branches. Locations include: Scotia (headquarters), Colonie, Clifton Park, Glenville, Schenectady, Niskayuna, GE Global Research, Rotterdam and Saratoga.
