"We continue to work to ensure we’ll be here for our clients, regardless of how volatile markets and economic environments get." —Jarrod Gerhardt
For Bank of Marin, being voted Best Company to Do Business with in Marin County is a repeat performance. The Novato-based bank won the same honor in 2008 and, in 2011, was named Best Business Bank, followed by Best Consumer Bank in 2014.
As the bank’s website attests, it’s all about commitment “To your business and our community.” NorthBay biz readers agree, and the accolades follow.
“While every bank says its service is special, what sets us apart is our focus on providing truly personalized service to help clients with their unique needs,” says Jarrod Gerhardt, Bank of Marin’s director or marketing. “As a community business bank, sometimes the service comes in the form of introductions to other people in the community or helping clients protect themselves from the ever-present threat of fraud. Many times, the service we offer includes helping a business owner expand his or her business, buy property or sell a business. But it’s always about paying attention to our clients—right down to knowing each of their names—because in a hectic world, the small things matter.”
One of the North Bay’s few independent banks, Bank of Marin was founded in 1989 and opened its first two branches in January 1990. It now operates 21 locations in Marin, Napa, Sonoma, San Francisco and Alameda counties. Bank of Marin employs 275 people, many of whom live in Marin. At the end of 2015, assets were at $2 billion with a market capitalization of $313.2 million.
“One of our primary obligations to our customers is to be financially responsible and healthy, and, due in large part to our commitment to consistent performance, we continue to achieve that goal,” Gerhardt says. “We work hard every day to ensure we’ll always be here for our clients, regardless of how volatile the markets and the economic environment become.”
And while there’s obvious strength in business numbers, perhaps the most important measure of the bank is its dedication to the communities it serves.
“For the past three years, Bank of Marin employees averaged more than 9,000 hours of community service each year, and we have staff serving on the boards of 60 community organizations,” Gerhardt explains. “We make it easy for our staff to volunteer—and for a staff our size, that’s a significant commitment. Last year, we also created our first matching donation program—if our employees want to donate to a favorite charity, we match the donations [with some limits].”
Among the groups receiving support from Bank of Marin and its employees are 10,000 Degrees of San Rafael (a college scholarship program), the Alameda Boys & Girls Club, Hanna Boys Center in Sonoma, the Napa Valley Education Foundation, Marin’s Buckelew Programs, PEP Housing (for senior citizens) in Petaluma and Tomorrow’s Leaders Today (a youth leadership program) in Santa Rosa. The diversity of the groups served is a testament to the bank’s assertion that “community is at the heart of Bank of Marin.”
While the bank has a wide footprint that covers much of the Bay Area, the company and its employees remain proud to be headquartered in Marin County.
“I’m from the East Bay, but I continue to be struck by how proud we are of our Marin roots,” Gerhardt says. “We take a lot of our personality from Marin and its communities. While we’re obviously committed to growth and are excited about what we’re doing in San Francisco and the East Bay, we want people in the North Bay to feel good that they helped launch a successful community business bank that’s capable of expanding across a couple of bridges.”
