Page 15 - BusinessWest August 8, 2022

As part of the 150th birthday celebration, bank employees buried a time capsule filled with a number of items reflective of 2022.
Ironman triathlons, where participants cycle 120 miles while also swimming 2.4 miles and running a full 26.2-mile marathon. And, more to his point, there simply aren’t many banks that can boast about being around for 100 years, let alone 150.
— is rare in this era of ongoing mergers and acquisitions.
It is reflected, he said, in a borrowed slogan that the bank has adopted: ‘Never forget who you are and where you came from; it’s an impor-
long-lasting institutions decided to go a different route and either merge or combine. It starts with the organization and how it feels the future can be laid out for a bank that’s been around a long time; if they feel they’re not going to make it, they look to a different situation or combination. So far, we’re not committed to looking in a different direction.”
Moving forward, he said the bank “has a lot to talk about” at its upcoming annual meeting and strategic planning sessions in September, from where, when, and how to expand geographically to anticipating where technology is going and how to maximize it to better serve customers.
“It’s all about delivery systems, customer ser- vice, where we’re physically going next, which means market analysis and possible branch expansion,” he explained. “We’re going to do it in a controlled and managed method.”
To a Higher Gear
While Moriarty is, indeed, a veteran of Iron- man triathlons, it had been a while, seven years by his estimation, since he had taken part in one of those competitions. Thus, he admits to being a little sore after that 60-mile trial run.
“It was a reality check when I came off the bike that day,” he explained. “I said, ‘whoa ... that was 60 miles; I have to do that twice plus another 30 miles.’ This will be a good challenge for me; there was about 3,500 feet of climbing for one loop — that’s like going up half of Mount Washington.”
He’s presently training with long-time friend and Ironman coach Kevin Moloney, who took the 60-mile ride with him. He’s also mapping out a course, one that will essentially take him on the
“I think it takes a strong sense of loyalty to the legacy of the organization to hang on for that long.”
tant part of you that you will find strength and peace from.’
“It’s short, and it’s sweet, and
it says a lot about us,” Rouette noted, adding that, while the bank has grown and expanded its pres- ence within the region, it remains
And that, more than anything else, is what MSB is celebrating this year, said Mike Rouette, executive vice president and chief operating offi- cer, noting that this longevity, this stability — not only the same bank, but the same name since Ulysses S. Grant was patrolling the White House
loyal to the principles on which it was founded in 1872.
Moriarty agreed.
“I think it takes a strong sense of loyalty to the legacy of the organization to hang on for that long,” he said. “As we know, in this area, some
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