September and October have been significant months for Carroll Bank and Trust (CB&T). On Sept. 12, CB&T celebrated 115 years of banking. As they continue to grow, CB&T staff remember where they came from and their purpose as an organization, providing a better way to bank for their customers and communities.
What started as one bank that served the McLemoresville community with only three employees is now a bank that covers four counties with several branches and nearly 100 employees. CB&T employees are strongly rooted in their communities and are thankful for those who helped establish the bank’s roots over the last 115 years.
Oct. 16 is another significant date in the history of CB&T. On Oct. 16, 197, Billy M. Cary, Billy B. Tines, and Graham S. Funderburk, Jr., successfully negotiated the purchase of the Bank of McLemoresville. This was a significant risk for three young bankers in their 30’s who financed the deal with a loan from what was at the time Union Planters National Bank.
Their vision to acquire the McLemoresville bank and branch out set in motion the successful delivery of financial services to thousands of customers and families across West Tennessee. Many lives and communities were and have been enhanced by their willingness to take a risk and commit to hard work and dedicated customer service.
The young bankers and their families could not have foreseen that they would be paying 17, 18, and 19 percent interest to hang onto their bank, nor could they have foreseen the changes and remarkable success the bank has enjoyed as it has grown through the years. For sure there were tough times, challenges, and disappointments, but the accomplishments and successes far outweigh those.
“We are thankful for their vision, their commitment, and the core values they passed on to all of us. We know that the success CB&T enjoys today is on the shoulders of these great visionaries,” said President and CEO Mike Cary. “Billy Cary and Graham Funderburk have passed on, but Billy Tines continues to serve on the CB&T Board today. We pray that we have honored and will continue to honor their investment and commitment by striving to deliver excellence every day!”
Congratulations to all the CB&T branches and staff for upholding such a wonderful legacy of community service by continuing to provide a better way to bank for all CB&T customers and their communities.
