While the world as a whole has seen many changes over the last century and a quarter, Century Bank & Trust’s leadership count their commitment to true community banking as a constant through the years.

“As much as things change, individuals that live in this community and small businesses that operate in this community [have] always needed and will always need a financial partner, and that’s what Century has tried to do,” said Derek Williams, president and CEO of Century Bank & Trust.

The bank’s origins date back to 1898 when a group of local business leaders opened the doors of Merchants & Farmers Bank. They did so to provide families and business owners of Milledgeville a bank that would be responsive to the financial needs of the local community.

The institution eventually evolved into Century Bank & Trust. Williams counts the decision to rename the bank to its current moniker as one of the strong points in its history.

“That gave it a whole new perspective as far as what the bank is trying to accomplish and trying to stay on the cutting edge of technology and trying to always make it easier for our customers to do business with us,” he said.

While Williams has been with Century Bank & Trust for eight years, he has been a community banker for 35 years, and he understands well all that the title encompasses.  

“That’s who we are,” he said. “We’re in this community. We take deposits from people we know and trust and go to school and church and Little League with, and we loan that money to people in this community that we know and trust, and that’s what community banks do.”

Whether through sponsorships or through relationships with all of the community’s schools, he said the bank is constantly trying to give back. 

“Because as the community grows and it gets stronger, so does Century Bank,” he said. 

That community presence is one of the aspects that sets Century Bank apart, Williams said.  He counts it as one of the great aspects of community banking.

“It’s a job that not only allows me to be involved in the community as part of this job; it encourages it…,” he said. “We encourage our folks to be involved and we give them the time off that they need to do it, and that’s probably the thing I’m most proud of.”

Many of the bank’s employees have been there for many years, Williams said, and he counts that as a testament to the culture they’ve worked to create. 

“There’s a culture here and an understanding of appreciation for each other and of tolerance and of letting people do their jobs because we trust each other that you just don’t get in a lot of places,” Williams said. “I believe that shows to our customers when they come in here too.”

And, he said, those customers also know that when they call the bank, they can speak to someone who can help them. While they have worked to stay on the cutting edge of technology, they’ve never lost their personal touch.

“We have just consistently shown that we care about our customers,” Williams said. “That’s why we have such loyal fans of our bank, because they know that we’re gonna try our best to give them the best possible technology, we’re gonna allow them to bank with us on their phones if they want to, but they’re always gonna get an answer when they call here. They’re always gonna get a person, not a machine, and they’re always gonna be able to get an answer to their questions if they ever do have issues or problems. So, we try to give them the best of both worlds. We try to give them the technology to not need us but the ability to get us if they do.”

When they do need a banker, they’re likely to get one they’ve known for years, and Williams said seeing those relationships every day is one of his favorite parts of the job.

“I love to walk around in our bank and see our staff interacting with these customers that have been their customers for many, many years,” he said. “Those folks know when they call here that they’re gonna get the same people, and that’s a great thing. That’s what we’re all about. We’re here to help the people in this community, and by doing that, help the community to continue to grow and prosper and do well. One hundred and twenty-five years is a long time.”