First Western Ropes Region With Offices

There’s another regional banking power in Northwest Arkansas that sometimes gets forgotten. And First Western Bank & Trust isn’t even a newcomer.

From its Booneville headquarters in Logan County to the Missouri State line, First Western has built a network of nine branches with four more planned during the next five years. New offices in Rogers’ Pinnacle Hills and Fort Smith will come first, followed by additions in Springdale and Fayetteville.

A virtual Northwest Arkansas veteran, the bank ventured into Rogers in 1991 by buying a failed Rogers savings and loan for $7 million. During the last 14 years its assets have more than tripled from about $65 million to more than $275 million as of March 31.

John T. Hampton, First Western’s chairman and CEO, made it his goal to conquer the state’s northwest corridor and it’s hard to argue with his success. His family business has made a name for itself all over western and Northwest Arkansas.

Hampton says his business is filling in the gaps between Missouri and Booneville. As his customer base grows, so does the need for more branches. First Western’s focus, Hampton said, is small- and mid-sized businesses and families.

“That’s what we cater to, that’s what we go after,” Hampton said. “Therefore, you have to have locations that service them.”

One advantage First Western has over other mid-sized community banks, Hamilton said, is the cadre of financial services it offers at all locations. Products include mortgage lending, insurance and a variety of value-added financial services.

“Our mission is to provide all the financial services that a customer needs, but to provide them in a small banking environment,” Hampton said.

When customers don’t have to sacrifice human involvement but still have the opportunity to do all their banking in one place, he said, the bank has fulfilled its mission.

Hampton said since all banks offer basically the same products and services, what sets a business apart is its people. His staff has grown from 45 people in 1991 to 110 today.

The bank owned 40 percent of the Logan County market share as of June 30, the last time share data was available from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

More than 80 percent of the bank’s business is tied to individuals and families.

Hampton earned his bachelor’s degree at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia and his MBA at University of Arkansas. He has owned construction, lumber and real estate businesses, to name a few. In 1984, Hampton and his father purchased majority control of what was then Citizen’s Bank of Booneville.

Since, Hampton’s own two children have joined the business. His son, Ty Hampton, is a senior vice president of the bank, responsible for human resources and expansion. His daughter, Cara Conly, is the marketing director. Both followed in his footsteps by graduating from Ouachita Baptist.

Conly’s husband is also in the business. Clay Conly is the president of First Western Mortgage.

Hampton said keeping the business in the family allows for continuity of ownership and management.

He divides his time between Rogers and the Booneville branches.