Pub. 3 2023 Issue 2

Bankers Security (BSI) was founded in 1981 by Chris Thatcher. What started as a vault door and bank lock company quickly evolved into a full-service bank equipment company servicing the Midwest. Chris loved to teach and share his skills with anyone who wanted to learn; his peers and bankers have kindly referred to him as […]

There can be no mistake that small businesses represent the backbone of the Missouri economy. According to the Small Business Administration’s 2022 Small Business Profile, there are approximately 542,700 small businesses in the State of Missouri, which represents 99.4% of all Missouri businesses. The COVID-19 pandemic posed an existential threat to most small businesses. In

Ben Compton Market President — Belton Hawthorn Bank Where are your main bank and branches located?We are located at the Belton branch, but we are headquartered in Jefferson City and have 22 locations throughout the State of Missouri. What is something unique about your bank? We are very involved within the community and are a

At this writing, the Missouri Legislature is preparing to recess for the annual legislative spring break. The break begins Friday, March 10 and ends Sunday, March 19. It signals that, when the legislature reconvenes, there will only be eight weeks left in the 2023 session. We are currently tracking 32 House and Senate bills and

The first few months of the 118th Congress have been off to a productive and busy start. Since my last column, Committee assignments have been finalized, and I’ve got some new responsibilities this Congress. I will continue serving on the House Financial Services Committee and will now be leading the Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit

Serving as ICBA Chairman has been one of the highest honors of my life. It’s hard to put into words how special this experience is. The work you’re doing every day puts real faces and names to the communities we’re fighting for, and it has been a privilege to be your representative at the national

True relationships withstand the test of time, ebbing and flowing with the cycles of life, and such is the case with the community bank — customer connection. It’s not unusual to hear about a community bank having served a family or a business for generations, and that’s a testament to the strength of the relationship.

Main Street vs. Wall Street is a typical conversation with small business owners. They see that every new legislation or initiative in the press seems to be set up for large companies while neglecting the small business owners’ needs. At the same time, these small business owners often turn to large banks to provide them