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Becoming TS Banking Group

In 1978, Mick and Judy Guttau had reached a crossroads in their life together. Mick had served as a Cobra attack helicopter pilot in the Vietnam War during 1970-1971 and had been working at TS Bank, Treynor State Bank as it was known then, for six years. With young children now in their lives, and dreams of farming not materializing, Mick and Judy were given the rare opportunity to buy Treynor State Bank. With the help of Mick's family, who used the family farm as collateral, they transformed the small bank into the community prosperity company it is today.

Treynor State Bank was chartered in 1923 and branded to TS Bank in 2005. TS Bank’s mission is to Ignite Prosperity® in the communities it serves. Leading the resurgence of community banking, TS Bank reinvests 10% of their net income locally; hosting educational events and partnering with local organizations and non-profits. TS Bank has $365 million in assets, along with the largest Iowa state-chartered C-Corp trust department west of Des Moines at nearly $290 million in assets. Branch locations include Treynor, Macedonia, Atlantic, Corning and Council Bluffs, Iowa. For more information visit tsbank.com.

The TS Banking Group is a joint venture between Treynor Bancshares, Inc., the bank holding company of TS Bank, and the newly formed bank holding company, TS Contrarian Bancshares, Inc. The TS Banking Group and two affiliated bank holding companies are headquartered in Treynor, Iowa, near the Omaha, Nebraska MSA.

The Bank of Tioga was chartered in 1951 and was acquired by TS Banking Group in 2014, with $334 million in assets.The Bank of Tioga is a community bank that values citizenship, exceptional client service, serving as a business leader in its community. Committed to supporting local organizations, the bank reinvests 10% of their net income back to the community. Branch locations Tioga and Crosby, North Dakota. For more information visit thebankoftioga.com.

First National Bank and Trust Company was chartered in 1872 under the name DeWitt County National Bank and changed to First National Bank and Trust Company in 1974. With $177 million in banking assets, FNBT was acquired by TS Banking Group in 2017. First National Bank and Trust Company is a community bank that values citizenship, exceptional client service, serving as a business leader in its community. Committed to supporting local organizations, the bank reinvests 10% of their net income back to the community. Located in Clinton, IL, learn more by visiting firstnbtc.com.

A Community Prosperity Engine

The TS Banking Group has brought new innovations to the banking industry, and is moving in ways that, by industry standards, are contrary to what many believe community banking can be. We are focused on people and we are focused on the community — but above all, we are focused on challenging the status quo. We take pride in that — after all, we are more than a community bank, we are a community prosperity engine!

Faith, family, farming and financial stewardship are what drive TS Banking Group to be committed to reinvesting 10% of the affiliated bank's pre-tax income back into the communities. This community reinvestment is made in the form of sponsorships, donations to local non-profits, and support of the local schools through the TS Institute.

A Clear Philosophy

The TS Banking Group is a community banking group dedicated to upholding a community bank management philosophy, even as it grows with new bank acquisitions in the upper Midwest.

The overall objective of our acquisition strategy is to expand an organization with a client-focused operating efficiency that allows for the long-term prosperity of community banking.

The Problem: The Growing "Profitability Gap"

“Smaller community banks are having an increasingly difficult time competing against larger rivals that enjoy the advantage of scale. The growing profitability gap between banks with under $1 billion in assets and banks with over $1 billion in assets is likely to lead to a spurt in mergers between 2014 and the end of this decade.” 

Richard J. Parson,
Author of “Broke: America’s Banking System”

Our Solution

To achieve our goal of spearheading the resurgence of community banking, the TS Banking Group must:

  • Preserve the “local touch” at each community bank by allowing the acquired bank to focus their efforts on serving their clients and communities where they are located.
  • Harness the power of a multi-bank operating group to provide a high level of technology, risk management, and financial management.

We are focused on people and we are focused on the community — but above all, we are focused on challenging the status quo.

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