Pub. 1 2021 Issue 6

12 | The Show-Me Banker Magazine MISSOURI BANKER MEET YOUR Name: Mason Lutz | Title: Marketing Assistant Bank Name: Meramec Valley Bank Where are your main bank and branches located? What is the market like? Meramec Valley Bank originated in 1918 with a location in Valley Park, Missouri. Its operating headquarters is located in the main branch of Ellisville, Missouri. A large majority of our customers are locals to St. Louis County, while our emphasis is on small businesses and how we are able to personably serve them. What is something unique about your bank? Something unique about Meramec Valley Bank is how we are able to help people and businesses that many other banks can’t. Since we are a small family-owned community bank, our customers don’t have to fit in a box and be the perfect cookie- cutter consumer. We have the ability to approve loans for people in a variety of life circumstances and really focus on helping individuals and businesses with financing programs tailored around their specific needs. How did you get started in the banking business? I went to Missouri Baptist University and graduated with a double major in criminal justice and marketing, with minors in psychology and business. Without knowing exactly the line of business I wanted to pursue, I interviewed with a number of businesses, searching for the one company that would satisfy my need where I could help others and build long-lasting relationships with the communities I served. When I interviewed with Meramec Valley Bank, I knew this was going to be a perfect fit. What is the most important thing you’ve learned from this career so far? The most important thing that I have learned from this career so far is that people enjoy talking to their banker face to face. Customers want to be known and cared about. In this career, we can build rapport and recommend a customer’s business to others, just as we want them to do for us. Keeping the personable relationship banking aspect is far more important than the “take a number” approach of some big banks. Tell us about the Bank’s community investment efforts. Meramec Valley Bank strives to give back to the communities we bank by focusing our loans on the neighborhoods around us and helping local small businesses thrive. We are proud to support dozens of local nonprofit organizations, academic scholarships and sponsor community events. What is the Bank’s biggest challenge in the area of Internet banking/mobile banking? Meramec Valley Bank is committed to providing whatever technology is required by our customers. While it represents a significant cost to capital, we consider it to be an investment in our clients, specifically as it relates to online security and privacy. What’s your favorite thing about your bank/banking in general? My favorite thing about Meramec Valley Bank is the atmosphere around our jobs. Our bank comprises about 29 employees who all possess a variety of titles and job descriptions. Although at times a little hectic, our bank staff comes together to get the job done, no matter how big or small. When you collectively care about the people and communities you serve, you put in the late hours and go the extra mile to get the job done right, which is exactly what we as a bank strive to achieve. If you didn’t have a career in banking, what other career would you choose? If I didn’t have a career in banking, my career of choice would be a DEA or ATF agent. Since I graduated with a criminal justice degree, I have always had a fascination for crime, law, and investigation. That is why my sympathies lie with our first responders, and their families, in times of need. ■ We have the ability to approve loans for people in a variety of life circumstances and really focus on helping individuals and businesses with financing programs tailored around their specific needs.