Featured Business – Citizens Business Bank

Robert Poythress, Citizens Business Bank Vice President, Manager. Farm Bureau Members since 2008.

 

1. What year did your Company/Business/Farm get started? 

Citizens Business Bank organized and began providing banking services during 1974 out of a single office in Chino, Ca.  Since that time, the bank has grown to nearly 50 offices statewide.  Citizens Business Bank has 6.5 billion in assets and was recently rated by Forbes Magazine as the 11th strongest bank in the United States.  Citizens Business Bank has been operating in Madera since 2005 and has been managed by Rob Poythress since that time.

2. What kinds of products/produce/merchandise do you sell/grow/distribute? What brands? 

Citizens Business Bank provides banking services to all types of businesses and agri-businesses in the San Joaquin Valley, including production, permanent crop development, and real estate financing for farms and ranches.  Our terms and programs are customized for each grower or business.  Each business enterprise has specific needs and requirements that a “one size fits all” approach fails to address.  Besides our loan products, we offer cash management, investment, and commercial and residential construction and permanent financing options.  

3. Who is the target audience for your Company/Business/Farm? For example: Children, Farmers, Dairymen, Low Income, Schools, Everyone, etc.: 

Citizens Business Bank was able to achieve the status of the 11th strongest bank in the United States by focusing on the financial requirements of small to sized businesses and their owners.  This group includes agricultural concerns consisting of growers, ranchers, processors, manufacturers, retailers, and wholesalers.     

4. What changes would you like to see happen in Madera that would help benefit your business and/or the community?  The 3 primary changes that would benefit our community and business climate that we have control of locally are as follows:
• Parents must take control of their homes and instill principles in their children that include honor, integrity, hard work, and considering the rights of others before themselves. 
• Encourage community members to take responsibility and control of the City of Madera through volunteerism (for example, the highly successful anti-graffiti program) and organized neighborhoods
• Develop a University preparatory school that focuses on educating the more gifted and high functioning student.  This action would attract a higher income earning family that we are losing to other Cities.  Higher income earners would make Madera a more attractive place for large retailers to locate, thereby avoiding sales tax leakage to Fresno.

5. Where would you like to position your company in the next 5 to 10 years? 

Citizens Business Bank strongly believes in the free enterprise system of government and the benefits of self determination and hard work.  Therefore, our plans are to continue to grow profitably through a relentless, focused effort of exceeding the financial expectations of our customers in order to make them more profitable.  The principle is simple.  A profitable customer means a profitable bank.  A profitable bank usually means a growing bank.  In summary, we plan to serve our community economically for the long term.

6. Are you concerned with the water issues that we face in the Central Valley? What are your specific concerns?  

When someone considers all of the issues facing the Central Valley and Madera in particular, there is no greater issue of concern than water.  I am specifically concerned with the cavalier attitude that most of the State has concerning increasing supplies.  We have taken great steps by creating the Water Bank and going to micro irrigation systems, but we can’t stop and need to build more above ground storage.  Unfortunately, most Californians exist with their head in the ground and don’t realize that our water problem is their water problem. 

7. What value do you receive from your Farm Bureau membership? 

The value we receive from the Farm Bureau is through the strong support the organization provides for the general agricultural economic base through government advocacy and educational programs.  A viable agricultural economy provides a positive multiplier effect through the entire community.  In addition, membership helps to connect business to business and create additional economically rewarding opportunities.