Northwest Georgia Bank
Founded in 1904 as the Bank of Ringgold with $25,000 in capital, Northwest Georgia Bank today is Chattanooga’s largest community bank, with nine branches and more than $620 million in assets.
Northwest opened branches in Hixson and Ooltewah-Collegedale in 2007, and groundbreakings are in the works for three more branches in Tennessee. In February the bank will break ground on a very “green” North Shore branch on Manufacturers Road. Branches are also planned for East Brainerd Road and Highway 58.
The Northwest Way, the bank’s unique approach to doing business, evolved from the bank’s history of service. At the core of the Northwest Way are the bank’s shared values encircled by a common commitment to customers and the success of the Northwest family. These values are nurtured during weekly Performance Excellence Program (PEP) Practices and tri-annual organization-wide PEP Rallies.
The Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence awarded Northwest its Commitment Award, signifying the bank’s dedication to creating an extraordinary organization. The award reflects the leadership of Northwest Chairman & CEO Wes Smith, who serves on the board of the American Bankers Association.
Northwest Georgia was recently named the 2008 Outstanding Large Business of the Year by the Catoosa County Chamber of Commerce.
“Through strong civic leadership, community-focused lending and large charitable donations, Northwest’s influence is and has been inestimable,” Smith says. “Our relationships with both customers and vendors are solid and built on service, trust and fairness. Our mission is to serve the community while generating location growth and economic well-being.”
In 2007 Northwest Georgia and its foundation donated more than $721,000 and more than 4,000 community service hours to over 80 local non-profit, civic, and trade organizations, including the T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital, the Chattanooga Downtown Partnership and the Riverbend Festival.
