Construction Will Start This Summer On First Western’s Bentonville Branch

Nearly half of Booneville-chartered First Western Bank’s deposits are held in Benton County.

It’s little wonder, then, that the bank has identified the area as ripe for expansion.

Landon Taylor, president of the bank’s Northwest Arkansas market, said construction of the company’s first retail branch in Bentonville will begin this summer.

First Western, currently with nine locations in Arkansas, had $288.5 million in deposits, according to the most recent data available (June 2015) from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

At its four locations in Benton County, the bank held $125.15 million in deposits, making it the third-largest of the 27 banks doing business in Benton County, in terms of market share. Only Arvest Bank of Fayetteville ($2.62 billion) and First Security Bank of Searcy ($131.27 million) have more.

“We know we are a beneficiary of all the great customers and businesses we are blessed to call clients,” Taylor said. “So, it only makes sense to invest in those who have already given so much to us.”

First Western has a branch office at 575 Memorial Drive in Bella Vista, and Rogers locations at 2722 W. Walnut St., 401 W. Walnut St. and 2601 Champions Drive.

The Bentonville office, approximately 5,000 SF, will be at 1108 S. Walton Blvd. The bank bought the 0.91-acre site last year for $625,000. A Flash Market gas/convenience store has since been razed and site prepared for the new building.

Milestone Construction of Springdale is the builder and the architect is JKJ Architects of Rogers. DBSI Inc. of Arizona, an industry expert in retail banking design and construction, has also been consulting with First Western.

Taylor also said that the new building will have space occupied by Kennedy Coffee Roasting Co., a popular Bentonville coffee shop owned by Tom Kennedy.

The coffee shop will have its own set of business hours separate from the bank.